Vintage Antique Knight Italian Sicilian Puppet Marionette Metal Armor
Rare puppet done with a great attention to detail and masterful artistry, representing a medieval knight with a beautifully hand-painted wood head and incredibly detailed facial features.
This unique and fun puppet can move in many ways making a fabulous interior display. Original wear and patina which adds to its beautiful history. Mid-19th century. Sicilian marionettes dressed in full suit of armor complete with brightly colored plumes. Total measurement from bottom of his boots to top of hanging wire is 17” (Actual marionette size is approximately 14”)
The puppet, and its art form, have been a mainstay of European cultural life for hundreds of years and is integral to the cultural fabric. Puppet shows were often used to denounce social injustice by taking the side of the little people and making fun of the bourgeois and the authorities. It is a genuine vintage piece and as such the painted parts and fabrics show age, though in nice condition.
This is a charming Vintage or Antique 17" Knight Puppet/Marionette with full Metal Armor. Comes with a sword, which is hard to find on some of these vintage pieces.
Finely hand crafted.
He is suited in knight's armor. The cape with the gold trimmed tasseled fabric makes it quite regal. The work is fine craftsmanship having hand formed and thin pounded metal body armor and includes the shield, sword, helmet, breastplate, shoulder plates and leg armor. This covers his jointed body. The feather plume has incredibly withstood the test of time. This is a medieval Warrior from the Sicilian puppet theater stage Opera dei Pupi.
MATERIALS
MetalTextileWood
Style: Mediterranean
ABOUT Marionettes became popular in Sicily late in the Middle Ages, during the fifteenth century, and marionettes are still considered an important part of Sicilian folk culture. Sicilian puppet theatre (opera dei pupi) or, more properly, "marionette theatre," developed into its present form in the eighteenth century. (Strictly speaking, "puppets" fit over the hand, while marionettes are figures controlled by strings, but in common parlance the terms are often used interchangeably; what we're describing are actually marionettes.) Typically, the marionettes and their theatre depict medieval characters and legendary events based loosely on history. There's Orlando (Roland), one of Charlemagne's knights, and the Norman knights of King Roger of Sicily. And Saracens (Moors). Baroque paladins, really, since their costumes are often more reminiscient of sixteenth century decoration than medieval armor and clothes. More recently, the puppeteers adapted stories of the Sicilian aristocracy (such as "The Baroness of Carini") to their tiny stages. As folk art, the productions are typically expressions of the popular perception of personages and events rather than faithful chronicles of history and literature. That was always the idea of this kind of entertainment. It wasn't meant to be informative so much as inspirational in the sense that spectators might in some way compare the stories or characters to their own lives. Puppet theatre sometimes provided an innocent alternative to the passion plays of the Church. It could even be mildly revolutionary, though most themes served to idealize the nobility which controlled Sicily, reinforcing the strictures of a feudal society that existed in the countryside. While it eventually became a popular entertainment for children, it appealed to adults, too. The marionettes themselves are made of wood with cloth with metal accoutrements. A handful of marionette makers still work in Sicily, particularly in Palermo, Catania and Messina, and sell many of their creations as souvenirs. Quality varies, naturally, but the best Sicilian marionettes are among the world's finest. Stylistically, Palermitan, Catanian and Messinese marionettes are quite similar to those of Naples and Venice --no accident considering the maritime trade among these cities historically. Traditionally, certain families have specialized in marionette making and puppet theatre --the Cuticchios and Pasqualinos in Palermo, for example. It is a demanding field requiring numerous, highly-developed skills. Nobody is born a puppet master or puppeteer; it is an art learned over many years. The puppets are carved, painted and decorated. Sets are painted in the Sicilian folk style with traditional colours, using canvas for the backdrops. As with any visual or performing art, puppets and puppet theatre are very individual, reflecting each artist's personality and style.
This is a charming Vintage Knight Puppet/Marionette with full Metal Armor.Incredibly detailed with beautifully hand-painted head. Sicilian in origin. Finely hand crafted.
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Item(s) kept in a NO Smoking and pet free home.
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