Musical marotte
Category
Toys
Date
circa 1890
Materials
Bisque-headed marotte doll
Measurements
295 mm (height)
Place of origin
France
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 671118
Summary
A musical bisque-headed marotte doll in the form of a court jester (1890). A marotte is a prop stick or sceptree with a carved head on it. Jesters or halequins usually used a marotte. The miniature head will often reflect the costume of the jester who carries it. He has a bisque socket-head with inset blue glass eyes and moulded and painted facial features. He has a blonde mohair wig and pierced ears with no earrings. The body of the jester is a ball into the base of which is inserted a peg which is attached to a revolving pole which one would hold. The ball is covered with white linen. The jester's costume comprises alternating red and white wool segments sewn togther over the top half of the ball. The bottom half of the segments are not sewn together, they hang in long, loose scallops trimmed with a bronze coloured metallic fringe. The top half of the jester's costume is trimmed with overlapping layers of cream lace and red and white ribbons. The pole is also covered in red wool. The jester's hat is also made of red and white wool. Both hat and pole are trimmed with an embossed brown paper braid. This braid also covers the sewn top half of the segments of the jester's costume.