Sicilian “Tancredi” Puppet, 19th century, wood, fabric, and brass, 38 inches high, Raoul Verhagen, 2007.48.11.
A puppet of an articulated knight with armor, shield, brass sword, and a helmet with a red plume. L’Opera dei Pupi, the puppet theatre, emerged in Sicily in the 19th century and related stories based on the medieval chivalric literature and Italian poems of the Renaissance as well as on the lives of saints and notorious bandits. This particular puppet represents Tancredi, a popular character from Sicilian history.