Sicilian puppet restoration: preserving the tradition
Sicilian puppet restoration: preserving the tradition
GIVING NEW LIFE TO A PUPPET
Every puppet carries a story. Some reach the workshop dismantled, others rusted, others with a frame weakened by time. Restoration is not a simple repair. It is a work of reading, respect and technique that brings a unique object back to life.
Identification: the puppet’s style
EASTERN STYLE OR WESTERN STYLE
B efore working on a puppet, you need to know where it comes from. The two main styles differ in size, materials, joints and construction technique.
Eastern-style puppets have rigid legs and always hold the sword in hand. Western-style puppets bend their knees and draw the sword from the scabbard.
Identifying a puppet’s style is the first step in any restoration. It determines the techniques to use, the compatible materials and the level of work needed to respect the original.
The restoration process: the stages of work
DIAGNOSIS, DISASSEMBLY, RECONSTRUCTION
Every job begins with a complete disassembly. Each piece is examined on its own: wooden frame, metal armour, garments, face. The diagnosis decides what to keep, what to adjust and what to rebuild. The principle is always the same: preserve as many original parts as possible, and act only where needed.
The stages follow the order of the original build: wooden frame, armour, garments, face, final assembly.
Restoration cases
THREE PUPPETS, THREE STORIES
Every puppet arrives with its own history and condition. Sizes and styles vary — sometimes the piece is only dusty, sometimes badly damaged by time or woodworm. Whatever its state, a restoration is almost always possible.
Anonymous puppet — 1940s
Left on the doorstep of a house, built from the tin of 1940s cans. Every piece of the armour was dismantled, adjusted and cleaned of rust. The hands were remodelled from the original wooden cylinders. The face was fully repainted. The arm guards and crest are the only parts rebuilt from scratch.
Puppet h16cm — 1960s
Restored while keeping 90% of the original parts. Taken apart completely, every single piece was cleaned, straightened or reinforced.
Puppet h120cm — 1970s
Arrived fully dismantled, with the wooden frame badly damaged by woodworm. The pivot points of the arms and legs were rebuilt. The torso was reinforced with an aluminium breastplate. The head pivot, the hands and the face were restored. Almost every piece of the armour was taken apart, adjusted and reassembled. The garments were fully restored, with a waistcoat and turban added.
