A quantity of cone puppets, late 20th century, to include: Harlequin Cone Puppet by...

A quantity of cone puppets, late 20th century, to include: Harlequin Cone Puppet by Trullala Spielwaren, Lübeck, Germany, wood, card, cotton textile, wool, felt, ribbon. approx. 53cm high extended; other cone puppets of varying size and design; a reversible puppet, Udaipur, India, carved and painted wood, textiles, 39.5cm high; and a tiger stick puppet, China, approx. 16.5cm high, 15cm wide (lot)

Sir Nicholas Goodison noted:

Harlequin cone puppet: The cone puppet is another traditional toy made in many countries. The clown can be made to emerge by pushing the rod on which she is mounted upwards. The skilled operator can make him seem eager or reluctant about his appearance by varying the speed and angle of the rod. This harlequin wears blue trousers which dangle down the cone when he is in a sitting position.

Reversible puppet: There is a strong historical tradition of puppet-making in Udaipur, where puppet-makers frequently stage Rajastani puppet shows and dances, some of which can be found in video films on the world-wide web. Performances most frequently use string puppets and are often based on myths and folk tales. They are accompanied by music and singing. Reversible puppets have the advantage of providing two characters in one puppet. In this case the bearded prince turns into the Maharanee when the cotton loop attached to each side of the Maharanees head is pulled upwards and the princes loop relaxed, and vice versa. Both puppets are marked with the bindi, the red spot between the eyebrows that has religious (particularly Hindu) and cultural significance across much of South Asia, It is possible that this reversible puppet was made by Mukesh Bhat, 967 Aakash Deep, Udaipur 313001, who advertises puppets with very similar heads and textiles.

Provenance: Reversible puppet: Purchased, Udaipur, Rajastan, India, January 1989.

Roseberys do not guarantee the working order of any automata or toy.