Object No.
98/25/2Object Statement
Marionette puppet, 'Tintookies Little Fella Bindi', Aboriginal figure, papier mache / wood / cotton / felt / feathers / metal, designed by Colin Garland for the Marionette Theatre of Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1958-1977Physical Description
Marionette puppet, 'Tintookies Little Fella Bindi', Aboriginal figure, papier mache / wood / cotton / felt / feathers / metal, designed by Colin Garland for the Marionette Theatre of Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1958-1977
Marionette puppet an Aboriginal man. Head made from papier mache and painted brown with red lips and a bone through the nose. Yellow zig zag decoration across the brow and yellow at top of skull with tufts of feathers for hair (most of which have been lost). Large cream cotton padded collar is trimmed with yellow felt. Collar does not meet at front, right hand side is nailed to shoulder and left hand side is nailed to chest. Torso, arms and legs of puppet covered with brown cotton jersey. The puppet wears on his left arm two arm bands, one of red twine and a red feather and the other of yellow fringing. On his right are he wears a fringe of yellow felt and a band at his elbow of yellow twine. The puppet has carved wooden hands and wears a skirt of green felt leaves, which have a central vein made from yellow ribbon. The puppet is wooden and jointed at the knee. The black painted shoes are covered with yellow and brown/red feathers. Worn around his waist the puppet has a small painted wood boomerang with black and white decoration, it is tied with brown cord. The puppet is controlled by a T-shaped wooden device, which also features a large metal hook, and another separate single piece of wood. The strings for the head are connected to the extreme ends of the top of the T by a loop of brown fabric. The strings for the arms are connected directly to the wood between these two loops. The bottom of the T is connected to two stabilising strings which hold the back of the puppet. The single piece of wood has the strings which connect to the knees of the puppet, also on loops. This piece of wood has a piece of thin wire which runs its entire length.