Historic Treasure of the Week - June 14, 1992
By Helen F. Mitchell
Vigo County Historical Society
Historic Treasure of the Week - June 14, 1992
By Helen F. Mitchell
Vigo County Historical Society
Puppet filled with monkey shines
The subject of this week’s historical study is a small hand puppet.
It has the head of a monkey and a kimono-shaped body of black and white checked gingham. The paws are of a white material so they show up plainly when the puppet is in motion.
There is no visible life in this little puppet, but when it is placed on the hand of an imaginative and creative person it seems to become alive with monkey shines.
Puppeteering--the art of expressing ideas or telling a story with the use of a hand puppet--is one of the oldest forms of entertainment. The word puppet comes from the Latin "pupa," which means dolls.
The use of puppets can be traced back to the earliest civilizations. Tales of articulated idols of Egypt, Greece and Rome are common. When puppets were used in the temple and carried into the ceremonies they are said to have awed and impressed the worshippers greatly.
Many gooks have been written about and for puppets. Poets and philosophers have written numerous plays for them. Puppets have been used in street entertainments since the time of Punch and Judy. That famous couple acted out the squabbles of marital life and delighted audiences since the time of the Restoration. In Europe, puppet shows were brought from Italy to France, Spain, Germany and then to England.
There basically are four kinds of puppets: hand puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets and the string puppets commonly referred to as marionettes. Puppets have a wide variation in size and in the materials of which they are made.
The little hand puppet in the picture was made for the amusement of a child, although an adult may have controlled it. The head is of papier-mache painted to resemble the face and the fur of the small monkey.
The Kimono-shaped body is designed to cover the hand and the wrist of the puppeteer and the arms are made large enough so that fingers can be placed in them as well as in the head. This allows for life-like movements. A bit of practice and even an amateur soon can perform like a professional.
These puppets also may be referred to as glove or mitton puppets. They usually represent humans and animal characters. Jim Henson’s "Muppetss" probably are the best known and most lived of the puppet world.
The little puppet in the picture once belonged to Barbara Taylor Alden. Her father was superintendent of the Rose Orphanage. The puppet became a part of the museum collection in 1989. It is displayed in the toy shop on the second floor.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.