Marionette Information
A marionette is a puppet that is controlled by strings or wires attached to its limbs and other areas of its body. Traditionally, these strings are controlled by a "balancing rod" above the marionette. Marionettes are often made of wood, but can be made with cloth, plastic, metal or clay. A puppeteer that controls a marionette is called a "manipulator."
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History
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Marionettes can be dated as far back as 2000 B.C., when Egyptians used string-operated puppets as a tool to teach people how to perform religious rituals, as well as complete daily tasks, such as kneading bread. Marionettes were not used as entertainment until about 500 B.C., when the Greeks and Romans began using puppets as children's toys.
Marionettes have been used for entertainment purposes for hundreds of years, particularly in theaters throughout Europe.
Features
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Marionettes are traditionally created in human form, but often represent animals or mythical creatures, as well. To perform properly, marionettes generally have many loose joints that are manipulated by strings attached to a handle or "balancing rod," which is controlled by the manipulator.
Most marionettes have nine strings, which are attached to the legs, hands, shoulders, and ears of the puppet, with one string at the small of the back. More complex puppets can have upwards of 30 strings attached to various parts of the body. By pulling and releasing the strings, it's possible for a skilled puppeteer to make a marionette perform a host of human-like movements, such as running, walking, and dancing.
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Types
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There are several types of marionettes, but the two most widely used are Czech marionettes, which are traditionally hand-carved in wood from lime trees, and Sicilian marionettes.
Sicilian marionettes are widely used by children and are some of the easiest marionettes to control. They are manipulated by a thick balancing rod and traditionally carved from wood.
Czech marionettes traditionally don't have a balancing rod, and are instead controlled by individual strings. They often have more strings than Czech marionettes, and a manipulator with a Czech marionette can sometimes control the mouth, torso and wrists of the puppet.
Expert Insight
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In comparison to other types of puppets, marionettes are generally considered rather complicated to build and manipulate.
Writes professional puppeteer David Logan, "Marionettes are seen by many as the most complex form of puppetry, perhaps due to the time it takes to make them and to learn how to effectively manipulate them. They are capable of a greater range of movement possibilities than the other forms of puppetry."
Marionettes on Television
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Marionettes became widely popular with the release of the 1940 Disney movie "Pinocchio," a story about a marionette who comes to life. In the late 1940s, the children's television show "Howdy Doody" featured several characters that were marionettes. Around the same time, a similar children's show, called "Andy Pandy," aired in the UK.
In the 1960s, a technique called "supermarionation" was patented by British company AP films; supermarionation (a combination of puppetry, filmmaking, and animation) was a stop-motion technique used to film marionettes. In 2004, "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone used this technique to film "Team America: World Police."
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