Marionette
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
Wood, fabric and metal.
Measurements
490 mm (height)
Order this imageCollection
National Trust Museum of Childhood (Accredited Museum)
NT 661596
Summary
One of the puppets made for and used by the ‘Lilliput Marionette Theatre’. This marionette has been identified as a 'woodland sprite' and is from a play entitled 'Hansel and Gretel'. He has a wooden and metal control attached. Its strings are made from nylon thread and are quite tangled. He has a wooden head with carved and painted facial features (including a very pointed nose) and hair, which is styled into a point on top of his head. He is jointed at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, knees and ankles, with metal joints. One of his feet has become detached at the ankle joint but is still attached to its nylon thread 'string'. His body is made from wood with modelling material hands, which are slightly cracked. His face and body are painted orange with red hair and feet. He is wearing a very short orange costume which is nailed on and covered all over with 'flame' shapes made from various types of fabric (satin, brocade, net, silk) and paper, in orange, red, purple, green, yellow and gold. Around his neck he has a collar of gold-coloured metallic braid which has a very long fringe (approx 10 cm) around his shoulders. This is becoming detached.
Provenance
Donated to the Museum of Childhood by Mr E Hellawell in 1982.