Early 20th Century Hand Carved & Painted Folk Art Wooden Marotte With Interesting Story
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A Charming Antique Early 20th Century Hand Carved And Painted Folk Art Wooden Jester's Marotte, Resembling A Traditional Mr. Punch (Pulchinella) Character. The Marotte Is Dressed In Its Original Fabric Costume Comprising Of A Hat, Shirt And Collar Adorned With Small Bells.
It Makes For A Wonderful Piece Of Decorative Folk Art.
This Marotte Has An Interesting Story Too. It Was Left Behind In A House Previously Owned By One Of The Female Members Of The Heaven Family Who Famously Owned Lundy Island From 1834 Until 1917.
Lundy Island & The Heaven Years
Lundy is a little island. It’s only 3 miles long and just over half a mile wide. It lies in the Bristol channel 12 miles off the coast of Devon on the west coast of England and south of Wales. Today, there are only about 28 people who live on the island.
Despite its remote location the little island has archeological evidence of habitation going back 3,000 years.
It was in 1834 that Lundy Island was purchased as a family home by Sir William Hudson Heaven, who built the first road on the island as well as an elegant house named Millcombe.
The family then remained on the island for over 80 years, presiding over its most prosperous period.
The Heaven family used Lundy as a summer retreat, although financial difficulties led to the family moving to the island permanently in 1851.
In 1836, they built the villa, which we now know as Milcombe House. Like the other buildings on Lundy, it has been restored by the Landmark Trust. Including its inward-sloping roof that is used to collect rainwater for drinking.
Reverend Grosset Heaven, who was educated at Oxford, took holy orders and moved to Lundy in 1863 to teach and to be a church minister on the island. He inherited Lundy on the death of his father in 1883, by which time it was a heavily mortgaged estate. Hudson struggled manfully with the Island for 33 years until his death in 1916. Hudson’s legacy is the church, St Helen’s, which he has constructed in 1897.
The Reverend Heaven became its first vicar, the ring of bells was installed in the tower and is still popular today with visiting bell ringers.
In 1917, the last of the resident Heaven family, Walter, was forced by his creditors to sell Lundy. At the time, the Island was badly rundown and its buildings mostly in disrepair.
Condition is good, commensurate with age and use. The wooden elements are in excellent condition. The costume is in untouched condition and would benefit from attention. The stitching once holding the collar to the undershirt has come loose. There are a few grubby patches and some folds/creases. Please study all the photos.
Measures 48 cm x 10 cm x 2 cm / Height of head: 17.8 cm.
Weighs 120 grams