Item HT 4849 Marionette - Le Forgeron Marionettes, Man Friday, 1930-1956

Summary

Hand made marionette depicting the fictional character Man Friday, from the book Robinson Crusoe. 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 the fictional character Man Friday. His body is covered in black fabric, which has many holes in it (torso, arms and legs). He wears light brown shorts with holes in them (deliberate).The shorts are held up with a piece of string around his waist. The black paintwork on this hands and feet is a little chipped. His right hand is shaped as though it once held something. His face looks like it has been made with plaster which has been painted black. The right hand side of his face has faded and there are chips to the paintwork around his neck. His black hair remains largely intact despite disintegrating a lot in its packaging. It has a mechanism. There are operating strings attached to numerous parts of him, including his head, limbs and shoulders. The feet have been weighted