Lg Antique Horned Devil Marinette Puppet Hand Carved Wood 35" With Rod Thru Head

Description: Large Antique Horned Devil Marinette Puppet Hand Carved Wood 35" With Rod Thru Head This puppet was designed for performance rather than household use. It likely have been used on a small stage with a curtained bridge over the stage where the performer would stand and manipulate the puppet's actions while staying hidden from the audience. The rod is positioned through the wood head and extends to a wood platform at the bottom of the figure where the wood feet are attached. As seen in photos the puppet can fold down to a much shorter size since there is essentially no body; inside the clothing is just the rod. Also has a wood paddle attached to each side of the head so the puppeteer can move it back and forth. The rod is iron (magnets stick) with no rust. Please see Condition Description for futher details and refer to photos. We don't know the history of this item. Can't determine when or where it was made or how it was used. Possibly used in a traveling puppet show or more likely at a performance space with a more permanent puppet stage. Don't know if it's European or American; it could be either one. If you have insight into this item please message us! Adapted from online sources: There are many varieties of rod marionette, depending on the size and weight of the figure and the amount of movement required. The rod itself may be made of iron, or be a lighter wire, sometimes of brass, but in some cases (as with Van Weymersch in the 19th century in Flanders) it was a very short wooden rod less than 15 centimetres in length with a couple of projections at the sides for hand strings and one at the back for a back string. The length of the rod can vary enormously depending on where the performer stands in relation to the puppet. A common height for a marionette in the 19th century was between 70 and 80 centimetres although in Catania the height might be as much as 1 metre 20 centimetres. If the performer was on the stage floor a relatively short rod would be used, but if the performer was on a bridge over the stage, the length would be dictated by the relationship between the feet of the operator and the top of the puppet’s head, making allowance for the fact that most marionettes are operated at approximately waist height. The rod marionette was the classic European marionette until the end of the 19th century. From the 17th century onwards it is clear that the normal way of operating a marionette was by means of a rod attached to the head. However, by the mid-19th century English performers were beginning to replace the rod with support strings to either side of the head. Many European companies continued to perform dramatic or narrative pieces using the classic rod marionette, and some still do today. The most notable areas where the rod marionette has survived are Sicily, Belgium and the Czech and Slovak republics, but it has also persisted in a form of crib show in Portugal, Measures 40" long with the rod. The marionette itself is 35" long.

Price: 399.99 USD

Location: College Park, Maryland

End Time: 2024-12-21T19:10:51.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD