Puppet - Wood

Wooden painted string puppet — Market woman with a basket of candles, floral dress France, late 19th century. Puppet representing a candle seller, recognizable by her basket loaded with miniature candles and by the crown adorned with candles she wears on the side. The figure also holds a candle in hand. The face is hand-painted, featuring a long nose, fine eyebrows, dark bright eyes and a small smiling mouth. A light headdress frames the head, topped by a straw hat with a turned-up brim. The ample gown is made of fabric with a small red, ochre and light floral pattern on a dark background; the shoes are painted black. The light-colored wicker basket, textile ties and the repetition of candles give a particularly legible evocation of street trading. This puppet blends interest in the craftsman character, the presence of the costume and the care given to miniature accessories. Construction combines hand-painted wooden elements and soft textile parts; threads connected to a wooden control. All components are old and original: puppet, costume, accessories, thread and control. Dimensions of the figure: about 45 cm in height, excluding threads and control, 25 cm in width and 15 cm in depth. Weight: 2 kg. Beautiful old condition, with an authentic patina that bears witness to time and its history. The nuances of the painted wood and textiles contribute to the character of this collector’s piece. The overall and close-up photographs allow for precise assessment of its condition. This type of string puppets belongs to the tradition of the animated figures theatre. Operated from above, they are suspended by threads gathered on a wooden control, called a controller or cross-bar. The puppeteer moves this assembly to give the character its poses and movements. Used by artists and companies, but also in amateur and family theatres, they bring to life stories, comic scenes and musical or dance numbers. The métiers characters and musicians evoke a popular world immediately recognizable by costume and accessories. These objects combine sculpture, painting, textile making and miniature work, all qualities valued in collections devoted to old theatre and toys. The lot includes one puppet, its wooden control, its threads and the accessories displayed with it in the original photographs. Photographic presentation: the first nine images show a background removal or AI-assisted or cleaned backgrounds. The puppet, its threads and its accessories are preserved. The eight original unretouched photographs follow to document the object and its condition. The background decorative accessories are not part of the lot.

Estimate:£0.84

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