Marionette
Edward Hellawell
Category
Toys
Date
circa 1940 - 1982
Materials
Wood, nylon, satin and metal.
Measurements
685 mm (height)
Place of origin
Wolverhampton
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 661568
Summary
One of the puppets made for and used by the ‘Lilliput Marionette Theatre’ (circa 1940 - 1982). This marionette has been identified as a 'Princess' and is from a play entitled 'The Lost Princess' or 'Kalif (Caliph) Stork'. The puppet has no control. She has a carved wooden head with painted facial features, including heavily made-up eyes (dark blue eye shadow). Her head is joined at the neck by means of a thick piece of green cord which is attached at each end with metal loops. She is jointed at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, knees and ankles with metal joints. Her strings are made from strong black cotton thread. Her body is made from wood, with modelling material hands. These are slightly cracked but each has a large gold and silver-coloured metal flower inserted at the base of the middle finger as a ring. The left one also has a green bead at the base of the little finger. There is a hole where this is missing on the right hand. There is a piece of thick white cord joining her shoulders, where it is tied at each side, possibly as a means of hanging her up at some stage. She has pinky-brown skin with red cheeks, and long, black mohair hair glued on. Over this she has a long veil-type head-dress made from black crinkled nylon with a border of bright pink ribbon all around. She is wearing a yellow satin outfit consisting of a tight high-necked bodice with long sleeves gathered at the cuff, and 'harem' pants, gathered at the ankle. This is decorated with black braid swirls at the cuffs, diagonal rows of black braid and pink metallic braid on the bodice, and yellow braid at the neck edge. Attached at the waist is a kind of overskirt, very full, and open at the front, made from the same fabric and ribbon as the head-dress. She has a wide belt made from dark red satin with narrow black and white braid along the bottom edge, with a large oval buckle at the front, made from silver-coloured metal with eight artificial diamonds around the edge. Her shoes are made from black leather which has been glued on. It is balanced through her right hand and his her hand is made to hold it. Nylon fishing line is threaded through various places and is very tangled around the puppet's head.
Provenance
Donated to the Museum of Childhood by Mr E Hellawell in 1982.
Makers and roles
Edward Hellawell, maker Margery Hellawell, costumier