Monkey marionette, Stringed puppet
Arthur S. Wilkinson
Carved wood
England
1920s
Museum no S.120-1987

This monkey puppet is called a marionette because it is operated from above, by strings attached to a control bar. It was carved by Arthur Wilkinson, inspired by the toy Italian puppets he had seen in 1914.  He started his career as a professional puppeteer by touring his puppets through England in a caravan, performing with his brother Walter (who later concentrated on the glove puppetry revival).
After Arthur married Lily Gair, they became known as the 'Gair Wilkinson Marionettes', and he later assumed the name 'Gair Wilkinson' professionally. By 1928 he had carved a remarkable set of marionettes, (now owned by the Theatre Collections), including the monkey and Marino, Pagliacci and Pimpinella, and Harlequin and Columbine.