Summary

Hand made marionette depicting the fictional character Robinson Crusoe. It was manufactured and operated in Melbourne by Alex and Murray Smith, who performed as part of Le Forgeron Marionettes from 1930 until 1956.

Physical Description

Marionette depicting the adult male character Robinson Crusoe, who is wearing an outfit made of cream coloured fake fur. It consists of a very long top with mid-length sleeves and shorts which come to the knee. He wears a thick, black, vinyl belt around his waist. His boots are also made of fake fur, but of a different variety. The shoe fabric is short with dark brown at the base and then a creamy colour at the ends, whereas the fur on the clothing is very long and scraggly. Parts of his feet are exposed, not sure if it is deliberate or because of wear. His limbs and head have been painted pink. There has been some cracking and chipping of the facial paint, but it is in reasonable condition overall. His plastic eyes are blue with a black pupil. He retains most of his hair, including his beard and moustache. His hat is made from the same fabric as his shoes. Robinson Crusoe has a mechanism. There are operating strings attached to numerous parts of him, including his head, limbs and shoulders. The feet have been weighted.

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