Summary

Hand made marionette depicting a Wild West cowboy. 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 a cowboy, who is wearing a red and white chequered shirt with two pearly-white buttons down the front. Around his neck he has a brown scarf with a pink, cream and green circular design on it. His pants have been made in a long-furry fabric, which is now moulting and is ridden with dead bugs. The Cowboy wears a gun holster around his hips with a small wooden gun tucked inside. He has pieces of fake leather around his arms, from his wrists to his elbows. His black boots have been painted on and his green felt soles remain, but have been partially devoured by bugs. The Cowboy's face is in very good condition. The paintwork is very shiny, and has sustained little damage apart from a couple of small chips. He has lost the hair from the top of his head (if he ever had it) but retains some of his black locks on the lower half of his head, which are now disintegrating. His hat (not cowboy style) has been made out of pale pink felt and is particularly grimy. Bugs have also made a meal of his hat. This marionette is attached to a three piece 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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