This marionette was made around 1920 by the Czech puppeteer František Šimek.
This antique marionette really is an original piece. The witch has a very comical expression, a crooked nose and a bulging eye. Her second eye is created with a bead and, of course, she must have a large wart on the side of her nose. Her strange smile perfectly complements her original look. Her hair peeks out from under a pink scarf, the rest of her body is carved from linden wood.
František Šimek (1881-1949) learned the carving craft from his father. He created heads and whole marionettes either alone or with other Czech puppeteers. He also renovated marionettes for other puppeteers. The costumes were made by his wife. In addition to marionettes, he also made daily necessities and furniture and restored wooden sculptures in churches.
Thank you for all your advice and help! Guys at Czech Marionettes are really masters of what they do. I have visited them in their studio and got my Skeleton there. Will buy more professional stuff there.
I was surprised by how easy and fun it is to operate. The controls and strings are straightforward, making it easy to create various dance movements. For its size, the puppet is very compact and can be comfortably carried in a small backpack. If you're looking for a simple yet entertaining and nice marionette, this marionette is a fantastic choice.
If you enjoy Marionettes this is the site for you - your time and effort will be used wisely if you love creative puppets I recommend this site owner unconditionally and enthusiastically!
Source of the reviews: Marionettes.cz, Google, Etsy