McGill University Library Unveils Sicilian Knight Puppets from UNESCO-Recognized Tradition
McGill University's Rare Books and Special Collections has unveiled two large Sicilian knight puppets, part of the Rosalynde Stearn Puppet Collection. These armored figures, standing 108 and 122 cm tall, were designed for sword-wielding stage combat and belong to the 'opera dei pupi' tradition, a traditional Sicilian marionette theater recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. This theatrical form, which emerged in Sicily in the early nineteenth century, staged epic chivalric stories from the Carolingian cycle, featuring legends of Charlemagne, Roland, and French paladins battling Moorish armies. The puppets are robust, featuring solid metal armor, control rods, separate strings for shield arms, rotating heads, and mechanisms for drawing and gripping swords. Their articulated knees allow for emphatic stepping, kneeling, and combat postures. Research into their origins, including a 'Daneu' tag found on one puppet, suggests they passed through a prominent Palermo antiquarian firm, indicating t... 
