Summary

Hand made marionette depicting a male gypsy playing an acoustic guitar. 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 gypsy playing the guitar. He is wearing an off-white shirt with red polka dots and fawn coloured pants. Over his shoulder, and tied on his left hip is a large green sash. Around his waist he wears a purple, pink and fawn sash, also tied at his left hip. His black boots have been painted on and his green felt soles remain intact despite a few small holes. He is playing a guitar which has been painted brown and made of wood. Green and orange ribbons have been attached to the guitar. It is attached to his body by a piece of wire which runs around his back. His hands are in good condition and have been coated in a gloss, as has his face. A small hook has been attached to each of his palms and has been threaded with the guitar strings, enabling him to 'play' the instrument. His face is in excellent condition, with no cracking or chipping of the exceptionally shinny facial paintwork. His hair and moustache remain intact, but are beginning to disintegrate. On his head he wears a blue fabric hat, which has many holes in it, and is only loosely attached to his head. 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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