Marionette
Edward Hellawell
Category
Toys
Date
circa 1947 - circa 1952
Materials
Wood, cotton, velvet and metal
Measurements
610 mm (height)
Place of origin
Walsall
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 661578
Summary
One of the puppets made for and used by the ‘Lilliput Marionette Theatre’ (possibly the first play to be created and performed by the theatre in the late 1940s). A marionette puppet of an old woman. She has some black cord 'strings' attached but no control. She has a wooden head with carved and painted facial features and false, grey, short hair. She is jointed at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists and waist with metal joints. Both legs are missing. Her body is made from wood with hands made of modelling material painted pink. She is dressed in a beige and black checked cotton dress with sleeves and skirt front in purple taffeta. The sailor collar and skirt are decorated with yellow braid and a beige second collar has a lace trim. Over this she has a black velvet cloak which is fully lined in white taffeta and ties with a black ribbon.
Provenance
Donated to the Museum of Childhood by Mr E Hellawell in 1982.
Makers and roles
Edward Hellawell, maker Margery Hellawell, costumier