Name/Title
5.4.25L Stop-Motion Puppet – Mad Hatter/Tramp/ Character from BBC ProductionEntry/Object ID
5.4.25LDescription
Artist: Alan Platt (c.1941–2022)
Height: 33 cm
Medium: Mixed media – hand-moulded head, painted detail, costumed with textile, wire, paper, and synthetic hair
Condition: Vintage – fragile; signs of age and use consistent with screen role in stop-frame animation
Overview:
A remarkable and eccentric male puppet figure, likely created for a BBC stop-motion production. This highly expressive character features a wrinkled, hand-modelled face with exaggerated features, oversized paper collar, tattered top hat adorned with ticket stubs, and worn spectacles. His costume includes a weathered green tailcoat, loose trousers, and deliberately distressed boots—one comically broken to reveal sculpted toes—evoking a whimsical and downtrodden personality in the tradition of the Mad Hatter or a Dickensian eccentric.
Production Context:
This puppet was made by renowned New Zealand artist and animator Alan Platt, whose stop-frame work spans several decades and includes both independent and commissioned productions. This figure likely featured in one of his UK-associated works during the 1980s–90s, developed with exceptional attention to characterisation, costume detail, and textural storytelling.
Provenance:
Part of the Alan Platt estate, released for sale by the family. Platt’s handmade puppets rarely surface and are increasingly valued by collectors of film and animation artefacts.
Condition Note:
As with all studio-used puppets of this era, there is surface wear and fragility consistent with production use. The costume is intentionally distressed, and minor cracking or wear to the materials should be expected. Best suited for display and preservation.
More to Come:
This is one of a limited group of Alan Platt puppets being released. Each piece offers a rare glimpse into the handcrafted world of analogue animation.
ref: 5.4.25L
