Summary

Hand made marionette depicting a male sailor. 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 male sailor, who is wearing a stereotypical sailing outfit, consisting of a long-sleeved blue top with a white collar which comes into a v at the front and a square at the back, and white trousers. His red, wooden shoes have a heel and do not have felt soles. The Sailor's top is in quite good condition despite a little discolouration of the collar. His pants, however, are very discoloured and have holes in them. Underneath his outfit, remains a previous costume made in a black, white, green, red and brown fabric. The Sailor's limbs are made entirely of rubber. His torso has been constructed through using two oval pieces of wood for the shoulders and hips, and attaching them with rubber. His hands are made of leather. His head has been made in the usual style, although it has quite a rough finish and his ears have been made of rubber and stuck on. The Sailor has an olive complexion, which is in quite good condition, with minimal cracking and no chipping. The detailing on the facial paintwork has been done in black, red and white. He retains much of his black hair, which is beginning to disintegrate. The Sailor wears a black cardboard hat with a small piece of red rope tied around it. This marionette has no mechanism.

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