rod puppet; string puppet

Puppet in the form of a devil with a carved wooden head, hands and legs (one cloven foot) decorated with polychrome pigments. The puppet wears an orange/brown costume trimmed with artificial fur. Operating rod attached through the puppet's head with a string attached to each arm.

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.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
2001.132
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall (maximum): 49.4094 x 22.4409 x 3.8976 in.; 1255 x 570 x 99 mm; puppet (maximum): 25.4331 x 22.4409 x 3.8976 in.; 646 x 570 x 99 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
wood; textile; pigment; metal
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
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Collection Information

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