Marionette of Harlequin, originally from the Barnard troupe, and used in a marionette pantomime. Carved and painted wood with fabric clothes. 19th century.

Carved and painted wooden marionette of Harlequin with a black woollen fabric mask. His upper arms and waist are of stuffed calico, his hands and lower arms are carved in one and his hands are painted with lovely detail. He also has carved detail on his ears. His thighs are jointed to his calves, and his calves to his to feet - they are painted as with white stockings and black pumps. He has real hair at the back of his head and a carved and painted moustache. His costume is in cream, brown, green, orange, sage, purple, black and gold triangles edged with sequins. He has a leather belt, a lace jabot trimmed with pink ribbon and lace at his wrists. He has two knee strings and two hand strings and one string above each ear - fixed to a wooden three bar control.

Puppet companies like the Barnard Troupe travelled the country in the late 19th century with canvas theatres or ‘fit-ups’, performing at fairgrounds. Company members made and dressed the puppets, wrote their scripts and performed them, bringing all types of theatre to the countryside. Harlequin and Columbine, characters that had developed from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, were stars of Regency and Victorian pantomime.

S.720-1990