Summary

Hand made marionette depicting a man rowing a boat. 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

This marionette depicts a man rowing a boat. He is a wooden with no limbs and no left hand side. His torso has been wrapped in a piece of cream, brown and blue fabric (which is quite dirty). His face (which is just a profile) wears a startled expression and is quite worn. The paintwork has gone white in parts. His ear has been made from leather and nailed to the side of his head. He retains his black hair. The man sits in a two dimensional wooden boat, which has been painted in two shades of brown and black. He is attached to it by a screw, which enables the boat and the marionette to move in separate directions, giving the sensation/appearance of either travelling in calm or raging seas. There is a hole and mark from a previous screw, perhaps he once had a travelling companion. This marionette is attached to a piece of wood.

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