This early 20th century papier-mâché devil puppet has the kind of presence that doesn’t stay quiet on a shelf. Likely German and dating to the 1910s, it’s built as a hand puppet mounted on a wooden rod, originally meant to pop up, stir the crowd, and disappear just as quickly.
The head is hand-painted in a bold, almost mischievous red, with black horns, sharp brows, and a grin that lands somewhere between charming and slightly suspect. The features have that great, slightly exaggerated folk quality—expressive, a touch uneven, and full of character. It still wears its dark cloth costume, with flashes of red underneath.
At 16 inches tall, it reads more like a small sculpture now than a toy.
This early 20th century papier-mâché devil puppet has the kind of presence that doesn’t stay quiet on a shelf. Likely German and dating to the 1910s, it’s built as a hand puppet mounted on a wooden rod, originally meant to pop up, stir the crowd, and disappear just as quickly.
The head is hand-painted in a bold, almost mischievous red, with black horns, sharp brows, and a grin that lands somewhere between charming and slightly suspect. The features have that great, slightly exaggerated folk quality—expressive, a touch uneven, and full of character. It still wears its dark cloth costume, with flashes of red underneath.
At 16 inches tall, it reads more like a small sculpture now than a toy.
