archive-object-reference
REFERENCE : MTM.2019.0164.0169
- OBJECT_HEIGHT : 460 mm ( 1'6" in )
- OBJECT_WIDTH : 140 mm ( 0'5" in )
- OBJECT_LENGTH : 110 mm ( 0'4" in )
- OBJECT_WEIGHT : 230 g ( 0.51 lb )
- OBJECT_REF : MTM.2019.0164.0169
- OBJECT_NAME_EN : Roberto
- EVENT_NAME_EN : Robertos Theater
- OBJECT_TYPOLOGY_EN : puppet / glove
- OBJECT_DATE : 2019
- OBJECT_STORAGE_REF :
OBJECT_DESCRIPTION_EN :
This puppet is controlled using the index finger to move the head, the thumb which articulates one of the arms and the remaining fingers which are used for the other arm. This puppet, in the group of “teatro de robertos” characters, has the particularity of being the only one manipulated with the left hand.
This puppet was carved out of wood and the clothes it wears are reminiscent of the traditional costume of Caxinas, Vila do Conde, where the puppeteer is from. His scowl and bulging eyes are important premises for his disdainful character and for his good visibility from a distance, as this is a street and open space show.
This character appears in 2 stories: “The Castle of Ghosts” and “The Devilish Barber”. Considering that this character is the hero of our narrative, by being manipulated by the left hand, allows a succession of characters to come and go quickly, with his constant presence above the “sentry box”.
With its rhythmic manipulation, at high speed, in an intense dramatic game and where there is constant jostling between figures, the wear and tear that the puppet has already suffered becomes quite noticeable. The choice to show its wear allows a second reading, the passage of time and the typical aging of the sculpted piece itself.
