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Small headless puppet with moveable arms and legs. \r\n\r\nThe main body of the puppet is a paper mache headless figure. It is painted a peach skin tone, with painted fingernails and nipples. It has metal hinges at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, allowing them to move. Green wooden rods have been attached to the puppet at each leg and arm to allow it to be operated (the rod from the left arm has partially snapped, and so is kept as a separate part). There are brown 'shoes' glued to the puppet's feet, made of painted leather, tape and nails. \r\n\r\nThere is a smooth dip above the shoulders, allowing the performer to rest their chin so as to make their head look like the head of the puppet. At the crotch of the puppet, there is gold tinsel and a party blower. The party blower is attached to a tube running inside the puppet and out the back to a pump. This would have pumped air into the party blower when squeezed. (The tube and pump is now broken, and so in two parts). \r\n\r\nThere are three small pairs of trousers that the puppet can wear. One is a pair of brown and beige striped trousers with turned up hems, belt loops and a button sewn to the waist to mimic a fastening. These have two leather loops at the top, attached with buttons. These are tied to longer pieces of twine, acting as braces. There are two small velcro patches sewn to the back of the waist.\r\n\r\nThe second pair is a navy and cream tweed pair of trousers with turned up hems, belt loops and a metal pin through the waist to mimic a fastening. These have two leather loops at the top, attached with buttons. There are two small velcro patches sewn to the back of the waist.\r\n\r\nThe third pair is a lime green and pink striped pair of trousers, with belt loops and a plastic googly eye sewn to waist to mimic a button fastening. These have two leather loops at the top, attached with buttons. There are two small velcro patches sewn to the back of the waist.\r\n\r\nThere are two pieces of red ribbon and one strip of braided and painted green and white fabric that are stored with the puppet. \n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Ravitz, Mark","id":"AUTH402108"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28674"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Bowie, David","id":"N7019"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x40048"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Grayline LLC","id":"AUTH404984"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"Plastic tubing only"}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper mache","id":"AAT14245"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"leather","id":"AAT11845"},{"text":"tape","id":"AAT14685"},{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"plastic","id":"AAT14570"},{"text":"rubber","id":"AAT12941"},{"text":"tinsel","id":"AAT183933"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"},{"text":"twine","id":"AAT14251"},{"text":"ribbon","id":"AAT14668"},{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"},{"text":"tweed","id":"AAT132867"}],"techniques":[{"text":"moulding","id":"x46876"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"},{"text":"machine sewing","id":"AAT257463"},{"text":"hand sewing","id":"AAT257459"},{"text":"taping","id":"x39893"},{"text":"","id":""}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Papier mache, hand- painted puppet with leather, tape and metal nail shoes, metal hinges, plastic and rubber tubing, tinsel, and paper party blower.\r\nPainted wooden rods.\r\nMachine and hand sewn trousers with a variety of plastic buttons, metal pins, leather loops and twine attatched.\r\nStrips of ribbon and painted fabric.\r\n\r\n","categories":[{"text":"David Bowie Archive","id":"THES394093"},{"text":"Entertainment and leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2024PA7896","2025PC7780","2025PJ2865","2024PA2974","2024PA2993","2024PA2992","2024PA2991","2024PA2990","2024PA2989","2024PA2988","2024PA2987","2024PA2986","2024PA2985","2024PA2984","2024PA2983","2024PA2982","2024PA2981","2024PA2980","2024PA2979","2024PA2978","2024PA2977","2024PA2976","2024PA2975"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES343564"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"puppets","id":"AAT138750"}],[{"text":"rods","id":"AAT14669"}],[{"text":"tubing","id":"AAT14687"}],[{"text":"trousers","id":"AAT209935"}],[{"text":"trousers","id":"AAT209935"}],[{"text":"trousers","id":"AAT209935"}],[{"text":"ribbons","id":"AAT14668"}],[{"text":"ribbons","id":"AAT14668"}],[{"text":"ribbons","id":"AAT14668"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"New York","id":"x29030"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1979","earliest":"1979-01-01","latest":"1979-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchase funded by the V&A Americas Foundation through the generosity of the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"69","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Main puppet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"65","unit":"cm","qualifier":"widest point","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Main Puppet","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"27.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Broken piece of wooden rod","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"116.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Broken piece of tubing with pump","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"widest point","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Broken piece of tubing with pump","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"61.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"Longest point (including twine)","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Brown trousers","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"23","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Brown Trousers","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"43.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"Longest point","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Tweed Trousers","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"26","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Tweed trousers","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"41.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"Longest point","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Striped Trousers","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"24.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Striped Trousers","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"152","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Red ribbon piece 1","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"1.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Red ribbon piece 1 ","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"78","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Red ribbon piece 2","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"1.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Red ribbon piece 2","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Green strip of fabric","note":"Length not measured as the fabric is bundled up and delicate to handle. "}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"MADE IN USA ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Embossed on the rubber of the hand pump"},{"content":"GRAYLINE","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Printed across the clear metal section of tubing. "}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Puppet designed by Mark Ravitz and David Bowie, used by David Bowie to perform 'Boys Keep Swinging' on <i>Saturday Night Live</i>, 1979","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"Television: Saturday Night Live (15/12/1979)","id":"AUTH411811"},{"text":"Album: Lodger (1979)","id":"AUTH401602"}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.510:1-2024","S.510:2-2024","S.510:3-2024","S.510:4-2024","S.510:5-2024","S.510:6-2024","S.510:7-2024","S.510:8-2024","S.510:9-2024"],"accessionNumberNum":"510","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2024,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"David Bowie Archive Number","id":"THES394108"},"number":"1979.2018.0002"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-11","recordCreationDate":"2024-03-19","availableToBook":false}}