Not currently on display at the V&A

Italian rod puppet

Puppet
19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Rod puppet, undressed, of a lady with ceramic head, forearms and hands. She has painted features with stylised rosy painted circles on her cheeks, and black painted hair styled in the ceramic, moulded to resemble a bun on top of her head. She has a carved wooden body with a generously proportioned bust tapering to an hourglass-shaped waist. The upper arms are of padded canvas, and below the sewn elbow joint the canvas is sewn over the ceramic forearms. The carved wooden legs are jointed at the knees, but end without feet which were probably originally ceramic. Both the thumbs and the tip of the middle finger of the right hand are broken. The metal rod, fixed inside the torso, goes through the centre of the head and ends in a loop for hanging


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleItalian rod puppet (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved wood, ceramic, canvas, padding material and metal
Brief description
Rod puppet, undressed, of a lady with ceramic head, forearms and hands. Italian, 19th century
Physical description
Rod puppet, undressed, of a lady with ceramic head, forearms and hands. She has painted features with stylised rosy painted circles on her cheeks, and black painted hair styled in the ceramic, moulded to resemble a bun on top of her head. She has a carved wooden body with a generously proportioned bust tapering to an hourglass-shaped waist. The upper arms are of padded canvas, and below the sewn elbow joint the canvas is sewn over the ceramic forearms. The carved wooden legs are jointed at the knees, but end without feet which were probably originally ceramic. Both the thumbs and the tip of the middle finger of the right hand are broken. The metal rod, fixed inside the torso, goes through the centre of the head and ends in a loop for hanging
Dimensions
  • Height: 35cm
Credit line
Given by the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild
Associated object
S.433-2001 (Object)
Other number
P.69 - British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild number
Collection
Accession number
S.434-2001

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Record createdSeptember 3, 2004
Record URL
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