Summary

Hand made marionette depicting a male guard. 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 guard, who is wearing a red jacket, green pants and a green sash over his left shoulder to his right hip. His belt is made of black vinyl and his matching boots have been painted on. There is frayed gold fabric decoration on his shoulders. His pants have become quite worn, with many small holes, the jacket, however, is in good condition. In his right hand, the guard carries a wooden sword painted in gold and silver, which has been nailed to his hand. His hat is of woven synthetic green straw and remains predominantly intact. There are remnants of a bird's feather stuck into his hat. The guard's face is in reasonable condition, although the paintwork has started to fade, and there are some cracks around his mouth. His black hair is starting to disintegrate and become detached from his face/head. The Guard's head is not securely attached to his neck/torso, so his head bops around (intentionally). This marionette has 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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