Marionette in the form of a caricatured man with two maneuvering bars
date: label: Date
content: 19th-20th century
notes: label: Description
content: A marionette (2007.7.471a) in the form of a caricatured man with two (2) detached maneuvering bars (2007.7.471b-c). The man is jointed at the arms, legs, neck, and waist. His head is black with black, woolen hair and eyebrows. He has large black and white eyes and a wide, red mouth. He is wearing a green shirt with white polka dots, a blue and white striped vest, and tan and brown corduroy pants. His shirt has a white collar, stitched down the middle with two milky white plastic buttons at the neck. His vest has black plastic bead buttons and a decorative brass chain. The man's hands are covered in black fabric. He is wearing light green socks with dark green images of bunnies and his shoes are black painted wood. Numerous brown and black strings are attached to the puppet at various points.
label: Description
content: A wooden cross bar (2007.7.471b) for the associated marionette (2007.7.471a). The bar was constructed from two small brown wooden boards, one longer than the other. The shorter board is nailed to the top of the longer board, forming a cross. A metal handle is attached through the shorter board. Pencil notations on the longer board read: [head[---?]] at the front, [shoulders] behind the cross bar, and [Balance / marionette / from here / back] at the back. A metal nail protrudes up from the front end of the longer bar and black strings are attached through a metal loop on the underside.
label: Description
content: A brown, wooden maneuvering bar (2007.7.471c) for the associated marionette (2007.7.471a). The bar has a round hole in the center with a metal grommet. Smaller round holes are located at each end. A tan and brown string has been tied through one end.
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Amusements
label: Topic
content: Caricature and cartoons
label: Topic
content: Stereotypes
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
label: Classification
content: Toys and Games
label: Classification
content: Racist and Stereotypical Objects
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2007.7.471abc
objectType: label: Type
content: marionettes
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: cloth, string (fiber product), metal, plastic, corduroy, wood
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2007.7.471a): 19 × 9 × 3 1/2 in. (48.3 × 22.9 × 8.9 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2007.7.471b): 4 3/8 × 7 × 10 1/16 in. (11.1 × 17.8 × 25.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2007.7.471c): 1/2 × 8 9/16 × 3/4 in. (1.3 × 21.7 × 1.9 cm)