Summary

Hand made marionette depicting the fictional character of Harlequin the Clown. 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 Harlequin clown, who is wearing a jacket which is yellow on his left side and purple on the other. His jacket buttons, which are furry like pompoms, are purple. There are also 'buttons' on each cuff, in the opposite colour to the fabric. He wears matching paints, yellow on his right-hand side and purple on the other. There are two furry buttons at the bottom of each pant leg in the opposite colour to the fabric to which it is attached. His feet, calves and hands have been painted in an off white colour. He also has a white, ruffle collar. His outfit is in great condition, despite some discolouration on his left leg. T he harlequin's face has also been painted off white. The facial detailing has been done in black, red, brown, and blue for his eyes. There is some cracking in the paintwork on his head, but there appears to be no chipping. The harlequin 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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