Bird Goat Devil

BIRD-GOAT-DEVIL MARIONETTE

Age: 2nd part of 19th century (1855 - 1860)

Wood carver: Antonin Sacharda from Nova Paka, East Bohemia

Folk puppeteer: Vilem Maisner from Semily. He played mostly in eastern Bohemia and the Krkonose mountains near the Polish Border.

Collection: From the Zvonecbk Theater

This is a rare entire wood carved marionette. It has a detailed rib cage, pectoral muscles and spine. Notice the easily recognizable late baroque influence. Its eyes and mouth both move up and down and are separately controlled. The marionette has six strings.

I am not familiar with the origins of this character - a bird goat devil, but it appears throughout Czech marionette history around the middle of the 19th century. Notice the longer curved, ridged horns and ears of a goat. The green bill of a bird. Also notice the hoofed goats leg, reminiscent of Pan.

This marionette entirely painted in a black-like color. It was most likely repainted during its stage life and the c