rod puppet

Rod puppet in the form of a male figure with plaster body parts and a green and orange costume. Central wooden rod and two articulated arms with two operating rods attached. Wooden cruciform stand with three holes.

In the first half of the 20th century there were 4 main manufacturers of puppets, with around 100 different characters. The characters were largely stock characters which could be used to tell a variety of stories. Story books were also produced and families would perform the stories in their homes. Faust and Don Juan were popular. Many were Czech folk tales. 'Death and the Godmother' was one. The devil featured in many stories. Šaldová, Lenka, Dr. Theatre Department, Czech National Museum. 2014.

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk