An Early 20thC Male Ventriloquist’s Clown Dummy c.1935-45

Object Description

The early to mid-twentieth century period male clown vent figure, in good original condition, with two mechanisms, the mouth dropping and the light blue eyes moving one way, the whole in a satin sky blue clowns outfit with pointed pierrot style hat, all with white pom pom adornments, to patent leather shoes, the whole made up of wooden and papier-mache composition parts with the wooden carved hands painted in a light skin colour and the whole surviving from the second quarter of twentieth century England.

Object History

Unknown.

Object Literature

The uncanny nature of ventriloquist’s dummies has enthralled and spooked people for decades, and they continue to feature in horror films to this day. The idea of the ghost in the inanimate object is not a new one, Freud has written at length on the subject in his discussions on the uncanny, and ghost stories have featured dolls and portraits coming to life for centuries.

One doesn’t see antique clown variations of these figures often, if, at all, and that makes this chap rather desirable.

Object Condition

In good overall condition he has been looked after well overall and there are no major flaws to report and both mechanisms work very well. We suspect he was made by a semi-professional maker. There is wear commensurate with age.

Object Details