Hand Made French Puppet Theater c.1940

ABOUT

This is an original, extremely rare and highly collectable French theater and two puppets. Hand-made primitive papier maché and wood puppet show theater and set of two puppets. The puppets are painted wood for the heads and fabric for the body.

"Chez Croque Mitaine" is written on the top of the theater which means house of the boogeyman. The boodgeyman's face is at the center of the theater. This piece has retained its original finish and both the theater and the puppets have the appropriate patina and wear consistent with the age and use. Minor structural damage to the theater and the puppets. The puppet stands are not original to the piece. They are used to present the puppets upright.

• CREATOR Unknown.
• DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1940
• MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Papier Mache, Wood
• CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use. House has a crack on the right side front.
  
• DIMENSIONS Theater: H 26" x W 30" x D 9"
                         Puppets: H 16" x W 3" x D 3"

HISTORY

The bogeyman (variant croquemitaine) is a maleficent character presented to children to scare them and thus make them wiser.
In France the puppet takes a prominent place in cultural society. An important moment in French puppet history came in the early 19th century with the advent of Guignol who is a Punch and Judy-esque puppet.