Object of the Day: An Antique Mr. Punch

I don’t know too much about the provenance of this puppet. I purchased it recently. He’s quite handsome, yes? With his humpback and big red nose, he’s all Mr. Punch. I’ll let you figure out how and why he’s sitting in a large crystal punch bowl in my dining room.

His head is made of papier mache and the eye sockets are set with a glossy varnish which makes his eyes look like they’re glass. In fact, at first, I thought they were glass. Since his head is made of papier mache and since he is smaller than “regulation” Punch size, clearly, this puppet was not meant to be used in a professional show. There’s no way his head would have endured the requisite smacking that it would have taken. So, I’d say this was made for a child. He’s in very good shape, indicating that he was either very well loved and respected or not at all liked and, therefore ignored. There are no chips in his fragile head, and, the paint is still as bright as the day it was created.

His wee hands are made of leather and, around them, at the wrists, are the remains of buff-colored silk ruffs. Similar remains hang around his neck. His cap and body are constructed of blue silk adorned with red polka dots. This is the original silk. It is very fragile and is falling apart in places, but, oddly enough, it’s still brilliantly-colored. His hat is decorated with a row of milky-blue glass beads. All of them are in excellent condition. 

Now, this is just a guess, but I suspect he was made at home. This is not a professionally manufactured puppet. He seems to have been lovingly assembled and he’s so unusual looking that I’m fairly certain he was a one-off. If he wasn’t created in someone’s home, he was made by an independent toy-maker. I’d wager that he was quite expensive to create. His costume of silk and glass beads is not the typical corduroy, calico or felt of a normal puppet. Furthermore, there’s just something special about him. He’s not a typical toy. He was made in the same spirit as my professional Mr. Punch, and, I think that’s why I like him so much. Yes, he’s a little strange looking, but that make shim wonderful. I’d say he dates to the late Nineteenth Century.

And, so, he’s come all the way from England to Texas to join all the other old stuff I’ve had shipped from England to Texas. Wherever he’s from, he’s very welcome here and I can assure him that, for as long as I’m around, he’ll have a very cozy life—looking beautifully strange, and, not falling apart any further.