Skeleton marionette (Pelham Puppets)
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Skeleton marionette (Pelham Puppets) (i)
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Arch Two , Area 53 Puppet Corner 1973 - 1984 |
Skeleton Marionette made by Pelham Puppets.
Pelham's "Skeleton" line started being manufactured in 1973, and continued until 1984.
Stringing
An interesting detail is that at some point in this puppet's history it has been restrung, as shown by the fact that it has purely black strings - Pelham Puppets after 1956 always used multicoloured strings to help ease of untangling.
Development
This is the second skeleton design. The original design (running from 1952 to 1972) was labeled Disjointing Skeleton, and the name was shortened to simply Skeleton for the second version, which is the one on display. You can tell that this is the later model as the eyes are moulded to the skull from the start, rather than being the attached beads characteristic of the early model.
Description
' Skeleton' Standard Pelham puppet, with original box.
Composition moulded articulated 'bone' body painted white. Moulded skull with red eye sockets with white ball eyes inserted, with large black pupils. Red nose cavity, closed mouth with white teeth with black outline. Ribs open chest cavity, spine made of white beads, open moulded pelvis. Limbs, two separate bones, moulded solid hands and feet with details of small bones, outlined in black. White bead knee joints. Articulated by black thread strings through metal eyelets on skull and shoulders, holes in hands.
T-shaped wooden control of long piece of dowel (length of puppet) with a circular base and additional ply piece attached to end of dowel with a hook and eye.
Original brown card box with blue and white Pelham label. 'Skeleton' stamped on end of box lid.
