Friday, September 20, 2013

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Mr. Punch by Hal Kent, c. 1910

Punch by Hal Kent
This and all related images from the Victoria & Albert Museum







The V&A has recently added a wealth of antique puppets to their collection.  Among them is this handsome, wild-eyed, one-footed Mr. Punch which was carved by Hal Kent in the early Twentieth Century.  Kent carved this puppet along with all of the traditional Punch and Judy figures, as well as a set of Guignol figures around the same time.  

The head, hands and legs are crafted of carved and painted wood. Applied hair of synthetic fur crowns his head, beneath his cap. He wears an amaranth vest with an orange border, both in synthetic fabric as well as a beige collar and an orange and red hat, as befits any Punchinello.


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