Very Rare Museum Quality Collection of 16 Venetian Marionette Puppets from 18th Century Commedia dell’arte Theatre Venice

Very Rare Museum Quality Collection of 16 Venetian Marionettes from 18th Century Venice, that were puppet characters for a Commedia dell’arte Theatre.

Four or five of the marionettes included here are near identical to those displayed in the V&A Museum’s Venetian marionette theatre collection which they date to 1734: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O98537/marionette-theatre-unknown

Other similar marionettes can also be found in Carlo Goldoni’s House - Museum in Venice: https://carlogoldoni.visitmuve.it/en/il-museo/percorsi-e-collezioni/the-puppet-theatre

This unique collection creates a magical display that is full of historic charm, and each character seems to come to life as we step back in time to another world.

These 18th Century marionette puppets are made of carved & painted wood, terracotta and fabrics of the period.

The 18th Century costumes mostly seem all original and unrestored. Most remain in very good condition for the period. 2 have costume damages and loses (female to back of dress and green and yellow stripey male). A further 2 have partial costume damage (green cloak lining, and back of pierrot). See clear photos for condition of each Marionette. Restoration may be an option for those costumes, but here we offer them unrestored and in original historic condition. In many ways the wear and signs of age adds to their character and charm, and displays their authentic history & fragility.

Costumes include some accessories: masks, dagger, swords (2), paper scroll and fan.

Partial strings are still attached as found.

Height of each figure: 29 - 30cm.

Characters from the Commedia dell’arte include: Pantalone, the father (in maroon with a black cloak); The Doctor, his friend (entirely in black); The Lover; His Beloved, probably Pantalone’s daughter; Arlecchino (Harlequin), a comic servant (in a suit of many colours); Scapino, another servant (in white with green trimmings).

These marionettes were made in the 18th Century in Venice. It is likely that they were part of a private theatre, in the house of a rich nobleman.

The marionettes were originally supported on wires hooked to their heads, with a round handle (a ‘turnip’ control) for the operator to hold. There would have been strings to move the arms but none to the legs.

Puppet performances were very popular in Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries, both in public theatres and private houses. Many Opera’s were written to be acted by puppets (and sung by humans).

‘Commedia dell’arte’ is Italian for ‘comedy of art’. In itself the phrase does not mean much, but it is used to describe a kind of comic drama popular in Italy in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was performed by groups of strolling players, who took a collapsible stage around with them. They acted their plays mostly by miming, and the men usually wore grotesque masks. If they did use words, they made them up as they went along. But they always knew what was coming next, because the stories they acted were almost always the same, and were full of stock incidents of the kind we know as ‘situation comedy’.

Usually there was an old man called Pantalone, who was bitter towards young people. He had a daughter who wanted to marry a young man of whom Pantalone disapproved. Pantalone probably wanted to marry a young lady who did not like him and his elderly friends, like the Doctor, and might also pursue young girls in an undignified way. In such situations there was plenty of room for comic misunderstandings. These often arose through the mischievous efforts of the comic servants, Arlecchino (Harlequin), Scapino, Brighella and many others. These kept the action going and introduced slapstick humour.

Commedia dell’arte players travelled about to fairs, not only in Italy but through France and other countries of Europe, even reaching England. One unimportant character in the plays, Pulcinella, somehow turned into Punch and lived on in the Punch and Judy show.