Unusual Artifacts: An Early Nineteenth-Century Wooden Puppet Head

Wooden Head of Mr. Punch
Victoria & Albert Museum
History of Puppetry in Britain

Of course, we know that Mr. Punch has been entertaining people in his various forms for centuries. Since his arrival in England, his appearance has remained fairly consistent despite minor nuances between puppets.






This wooden head, long detached from its cloth body, shows us an early Nineteenth-Century incarnation of our beloved Mr. Punch. With his hooked nose and chin, he looks very much like his many puppet brothers. The head was created for the Codman Family who were Punch & Judy Men for four generations. A cherished family heirloom, the head was presented to another great Punch Professor—Percy Press I—in 1946 as a gift from Richard Codman, Senior. With his bright eyes and knowing smile, this gleeful figure represents a proud puppet ancestry and serves as a model for his descendants.

Mastery of Design: The Anne Hull Grundy Camellia, c. 1860

All Images From the British Museum.

I'm in love with this brooch.  So much so that I can almost forgive the fact that it's made out of elephant.  Made around 1860 in England, the chased green gold ornament takes the form of a camellia with the blooms crafted of finely-carved and tinted ivory.

From the Hull-Grundy gift to The British Museum, the intricately worked ivory is, as The British Museum puts it, "of unusually high quality, demonstating a concern for naturalistic accuracy rather than any interest in intrinsic value."

The brooch was wholly restored by The British Museum in 2009.  It has been purchased by Anne Hull Grundy from N. Bloom & Son, 40 Albemarle Street, London W1 for, according  a 1973 invoice, £440.  The jeweler mistakenly described the ornament as a "Gold and ivory rose spray brooch, c. 1820," when it is in fact, a camellia from c. 1860.

Mastery of Design: The Night Cameo, 1820-1830

"Night"
Italy, 1820-1830
The British Museum

Carved in pale malachite, this gold-framed cameo is carved with the image of a winged woman, "Night," cradling two sleeping children.

This 1820 to 1830 composition is inspired by the marble relief by Bertel Thorwaldsen which was finished in 1815 during the famed sculptors stay in Rome.  The original relief is now in the Thorwaldsen Museum, Copenhagen. 

A cast of the circular gem was cut by Italian jeweler Luigi Pichler after Thorwaldsen's relief and remained a popular motif throughout the Nineteenth Century.

This brooch is one of the many fabulous jewels which were bequeathed to The British Museum as part of the Hull-Grundy Gift.

Mastery of Design: A Curious Sapphire Dress-Pin, 100-130

Dress Pin
Roman, 100-130
The British Museum

Here's a curious, but attractive bit of sparkle from The British Museum.  This Roman dress-pin dates to about 100-130.  A work of carved sapphire and wrought gold, the piece depicts the bust of a woman sporting an elaborate coiffure.  The odd part of the bust's hairdo is that, in the reverse, it reveals the face of a child.  Hmmmm...

A modern gold pedestal was added to the original wrought gold setting which included the small diamond that's still visible at the bodice of the bust.  

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Walnut Fruit Press, 1700

Fruit Press
Italy, 1700
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This carved walnut fruit press takes the form of a lion's body. The lion rests on walnut brackets and an elm base. The lion's body is hollow, allowing it to receive fruit which is then crushed by a slat of wood with a cross-hatched underside. The mouth of the lion is fitted with a spout from which the juice from the crushed fruit pours.


This fruit press comes from Italy and was carved about 1700 or earlier. The press is really quite small and would have been given a prominent place on a kitchen table.

Mastery of Design: The Hands and Palm Trees Intaglio, 200 BCE

Intaglio
Rome, c. 200 BCE
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I always wonder who wore these pieces of jewelry, especially these ancient examples whose original owners are typically unknown. This was a jewel which was full of meaning and sentiment. To whom did it belong? How much did it mean to him or her?

Made around 200 BCE, this ring is set with an intaglio which was likely carved in Rome. The intaglio of clasped hands above a branch of palm is carved into translucent orange-red carnelian. The design is a heraldic device known as the “fede.” This image of two hands joined together was a popular symbol for wedding rings, however, such rings were exchanged between friends, and even between captains of armies and nations to show fidelity.

Above and below the hands, the words “Sesichoros” and “Eros” have been inscribed. The setting of the ring is silver which was later gilt, likely in the early Nineteenth Century. It was acquired by the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) and first exhibited in 1871. 

Unfolding Pictures: The Venus Interceding with Jupiter Fan, 1730-1769

Venus Interceding with Jupiter Fan
French, 1730-1769
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Many Eighteenth Century fans were inspired by stories from Classical mythology. Here’s a great example. Known as the “Venus Interceding with Jupiter” Fan, it was made in France between 1730 and 1769. The leaf of the fan shows the high standards for fan-painting as well as serves as an excellent example of French Baroque painting. The hallmarks of Baroque painting—theatricality, intense and brilliant colors and unnaturally exaggerated lighting—are all clearly evident in this delicately painted scene. A Chinoiserie scene—also fashionable at the time—graces the reverse of the fan. 

The fan’s sticks and guards, also, are indicative or Baroque style with their intricate carving and piercing, painted cartouches and inlays of mother-of-pearl. 

Click images for larger pictures

Mastery of Design: The Melillo Insect Necklace, Late 19th C.

Necklace
Italy, late Nineteenth Century
The British Museum

Made of jasper, gold and agate, this woven necklace boasts a Milanese chain of hollow elptical sections and three carved hardstone pendants. A gold frog, in relied, adorns the box clasp. The piece was made in Italy in the late Nineteenth Century by Giacinto Melillo who was known for his jewels made on ancient designs.

Mastery of Design: The Gaillard Parasol Handle, c. 1900

Parasol Fittings
Gaillard, 1900
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The work of Parisian maker Lucien Gaillard, we see here fittings from a parasol. Made around 1900, the parasol’s handle is made of carved and bleached horn which has been set with pearls and small rubies in gold settings. The other fittings, tips for the spokes, are made of carved tortoiseshell.