Not currently on display at the V&A

Puppet

circa 1890 (Made)

Carved wooden marionette of a bearded snake charmer playing a pipe sitting cross-legged on a wooden base, jonted at the neck, torso, arms and wrists, with moveable fingers. The wood is finely carved and painted brown and his face had sunken cheeks, well-defined eyeybrows and eye sockets with eyes painted with blue pupils. The marionette is dressed in an ochre, purple, red and black striped jacket with pale orange-brown baggy trousers gathered at the ankles and a removable red and white spotted turban. With wood and metal control bar and ten strings.


Object details

Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted wood with horse hair, cotton and silk fabric and metal control bars and eyelets. Suspected use of human hair.
Brief description
Carved wooden marionette of a snake charmer playing a pipe. With control bar, ca.1890.
Physical description
Carved wooden marionette of a bearded snake charmer playing a pipe sitting cross-legged on a wooden base, jonted at the neck, torso, arms and wrists, with moveable fingers. The wood is finely carved and painted brown and his face had sunken cheeks, well-defined eyeybrows and eye sockets with eyes painted with blue pupils. The marionette is dressed in an ochre, purple, red and black striped jacket with pale orange-brown baggy trousers gathered at the ankles and a removable red and white spotted turban. With wood and metal control bar and ten strings.
Dimensions
  • Sitting up, from ground to top of head height: 27cm
  • Depth of wooden base depth: 19.7cm
  • Width of wooden base width: 11.4cm
Object history
This marionette was originally purchased by the author and cult-follower Aleistair Croley from a street stall in London ca.1890 and was subsequently owned by Mabel Crowther of Arno Puppets between 1934 and 1980.
Collection
Accession number
S.382-1985

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Record createdSeptember 17, 2004
Record URL
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