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ID #SA1243600
FOR SALE
£400
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Folk Art/victorian Carved and Polychrome Painted Wooden Puppet Head
For sale by Kendall House Antiques Ltd.
for sale €468     $508
£400
Kendall House Antiques Ltd.

Kendall House Antiques Ltd.

Sellingantiques Verified Since May 2022
Browse dealers 159 items
  • About Us
    Kendall house antiques a traditional shop in the north cotswold’s market town of chipping campden.
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Id #SA1243600
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Folk Art/victorian Carved and Polychrome Painted Wooden Puppet Head

1900 - 1920
Description

Folk Art/Victorian carved and polychrome painted wooden puppet head

The bearded man with remains of real hair and staple suspension loop. Fitted on a later oak and felt covered base. Attributed to Clowes and Sons ‘Excelsior Marionette’ late 19th/Early 20th Century.

Approximately 15cm High.

Note: In the 1860s travelling marionette shows were a common sight either on their own or at fairgrounds. This peripatetic nature makes them one of the most ephemeral of Victorian entertainments, since they left no buildings, very few printed bills, posters, or scripts, and only a handful of actual puppets survive. Travelling shows were performed by family troupes, and amongst the most famous was the Tiller-Clowes troupe who were also well-known puppet makers.

Date of Manufacture

Kendall House Antiques Ltd. has dated this Victorian Carved Puppet Head to the 1900s.

Physical Dimensions
Height
15cm (5.91")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1243600
Dealers Internal Reference
25731
Dealers Notes

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Please also check spam for our email replies.

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Shop Opening Hours: Thursday – Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm

Out of hours appointments can be arranged just give us a call.

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Follow us on instagram

https://www.instagram.com/kendallhouseantiques/

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We offer a professional and prompt delivery service within the UK using our own van and driver.

Please contact us for delivery options, plus any shipping enquires.

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Description
Folk Art/Victorian carved and polychrome painted wooden puppet head

The bearded man with remains of real hair and staple suspension loop. Fitted on a later oak and felt covered base. Attributed to Clowes and Sons ‘Excelsior Marionette’ late 19th/Early 20th Century.

fig 1. A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base.
fig 1. Folk Art/victorian Carved and Polychrome Painted Wooden Puppet Head

Approximately 15cm High.

“
Note: In the 1860s travelling marionette shows were a common sight either on their own or at fairgrounds.
Kendall House Antiques Ltd.

This peripatetic nature makes them one of the most ephemeral of Victorian entertainments, since they left no buildings, very few printed bills, posters, or scripts, and only a handful of actual puppets survive. Travelling shows were performed by family troupes, and amongst the most famous was the Tiller-Clowes troupe who were also well-known puppet makers.

Date of Manufacture

Kendall House Antiques Ltd. has dated this Victorian Carved Puppet Head to the 1900s.

Height
15cm (5.91")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1243600
Dealers Internal Ref
25731
Kendall House Antiques Ltd.
Kendall House Antiques Ltd.
Sellingantiques verified Since May 2022

Kendall house antiques a traditional shop in the north cotswold’s market town of chipping campden.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Kendall House Antiques Ltd. Profile Page

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A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base.
1 / 6
Archive I A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base.

Folk Art/victorian Carved and Polychrome Painted Wooden Puppet Head

Archive II A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base. View II
Archive III A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base. View III
Archive IV A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base. View IV
Archive V A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base. View V
Archive VI A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base. View VI
Enlarged Archival View
Kendall House Antiques Ltd.

Kendall House Antiques Ltd.
Telephone 07880 602715
Location
Kendall House
High Street
Chipping Campden
Gloucestershire
GL55 6AG 7
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/kendallhouse
Verified Since May 2022
Items For Sale 159
Items Sold 463
Kendall House Antiques Ltd.
Kendall House Antiques Ltd.
Verified Since May 2022
View Dealer Info
Location: Kendall House, High Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, GL55 6AG 7, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/kendallhouse
Verified
May 2022
For Sale
159
Sold
463
A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base.
Folk Art/Victorian carved and polychrome painted wooden puppet head
Ref: SA1243600
A nineteenth-century carved wooden puppet head featuring original polychrome paint finish, facial hair details, and side-swept hair, displayed on a wooden base.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectFolk Art Sculpture
  • Period1900 - 1920
  • StyleVictorian Folk Art
  • MaterialWood, Polychrome Paint, Hair
  • ColourWarm Brown
  • MotifsPolychrome painted surface, Hand-carved facial features, Applied hair tufts, Metal mounting loop
  • SizeH 15 cm (6 in)

This folk art Victorian carved and polychrome painted wooden puppet head depicts a bearded man with hand-carved facial features, applied hair tufts, and a staple suspension loop. The carved wooden head displays an original polychrome paint finish in warm brown, red and white tones, alongside remains of real hair and side-swept hair, mounted on a later oak and felt covered base via a central metal rod. The piece stands at 15 cm high. Items of this type find a natural home on a bookshelf or side table in a study, library or cabinet display, introducing theatrical character and historical texture to contemporary interior spaces. Such surviving examples of Victorian travelling entertainments connect modern domestic settings with nineteenth-century fairground traditions through expressive folk sculpture.

FAQs

During the nineteenth century, wooden puppets and marionettes were crafted for travelling theatrical troupes, street performances, and puppet theatres. Carvers produced distinct facial expressions to allow audiences to easily distinguish characters from a distance.

Puppet heads from this era were typically hand-carved from softwoods such as pine or lime wood. They were finished with coats of gesso, hand-painted with polychrome pigments, and occasionally detailed with natural hair, glass eyes, or iron mounting hardware.

Authentic period pieces display evidence of functional wear, natural paint craquelure, and hand-tool marks from gouges and chisels. Look for integrated attachment points, such as metal loops or neck hollows, which were used to secure the head to a body mechanism.

Interior designers often mount these sculpted heads on custom metal display stands to highlight them as standalone sculptural objects. Placing them within a bookshelf recess, cabinet of curiosities, or on a mantelpiece creates a focused conversational focal point.

Keep painted wooden items in climate-controlled environments away from direct heat sources and sunlight to prevent wood shrinkage and paint flaking. Gently remove dust using a dry, soft-bristled brush, avoiding liquid cleaners or abrasive solvents.
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