Marionette
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
Wood, composition and rubber.
Measurements
530 mm (length); 360 mm (height)
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 661600
Summary
One of the puppets made for and used by the ‘Lilliput Marionette Theatre’. A wooden marionette of a horse, painted brown. It is carved from wood, with a composition covering over its head and body to give it a more moulded shape. Its legs are jointed in three places, and small nails have been hammered in to the bases of each foot. It has a very flexible neck made from several long, flat pieces of wood (rounded at the short ends) threaded along a strip of rubber. This has perished near the head, which has therefore become detached. The strings attached to its body are tied to metal eyes screwed in at the shoulders and rear end, but there are also strings to control its eyes and mouth, which are threaded through its head before attaching to the metal eyes. Most of the strings are made of black cotton, but the one controlling its mouth is nylon, as is a further one attached to its nose. The control is missing. The horse's eyelashes are made from a black coarse fibre, and its mane and plaited tail are of brown mohair. There is a further piece of brown rubber, similar to the piece forming its neck, behind (or forming) each ear. The one on its right is very small, the left very large (for a horse!). Total number of items is 2.
Provenance
Donated to the Museum of Childhood by Mr E Hellawell in 1982.