International Puppet Museum - Peruchet

The International Puppet Museum - Peruchet (French: Musée international de la Marionette Peruchet; Dutch: Internationaal Marionettenmuseum Peruchet) is a museum in Brussels, Belgium, dedicated to the global art of puppetry. It forms an integral part of the Royal Peruchet Theatre (French: Théâtre royal du Peruchet; Dutch: Koninklijk Peruchettheater), Belgium's only royal marionette theatre. Established in 1938, the museum houses nearly 4,000 original puppets from diverse cultures and historical periods, making it one of the earliest international puppet museums in the world. Located in an 18th-century farmhouse in the Ixelles commune, it continues to operate in close conjunction with the theatre's active performance programme.

The museum's origins are inseparable from those of the Royal Peruchet Theatre, founded in 1929 by Carlo Speder. The theatre's name derived from a phrase coined by Speder's daughter, "le théâtre de mon père chéri" (the theatre of my beloved father). Speder established the museum itself in 1938, the same year the theatre moved to the Chaussée de Charleroi/Charleroisesteenweg, though the precise founding date is recorded variously as 1937 or 1938 in different sources. The theatre had previously relocated in 1931 to the Rue Joseph Lebeau/Joseph Lebeaustraat in central Brussels. In 1940, Speder founded the Académie de la marionnette (Academy of Puppetry) to train young puppeteers. A pivotal moment came in 1950 when Speder met Franz Jageneau, an artist from the Hergé Studios, who became his assistant and succeeded him as director in 1958. Under Jageneau's leadership until 2003, the theatre reached its heyday in the 1960s with hundreds of performances annually. In 1968, both theatre and museum moved to their present location on the Avenue de la Forêt/Woudlaan in Ixelles. That same year, Jageneau met Biserka Assenova, a graduate playwright and director from Prague who had specialised in Czech puppet theatre with masters such as Erik Kolar and Jan Malík; she subsequently joined the institution. In 1983, Jageneau and his family conceived the plan to revitalise the marionette collection by enlarging the museum, establishing the dedicated museum wing that persists today. The theatre received its royal designation as the Théâtre Royal du Peruchet in 1993 from the city of Brussels. Since 2013, the theatre has hosted the JEM international festival every two years, and since 2020 the MUDs festival has highlighted marionettists and UNIMA Belgium. The theatre also organised a World Puppet Festival during the Brussels Universal Exposition of 1958, with subsequent international festivals in 1969, 1970 and 1971.

The museum's collection encompasses nearly 4,000 original puppets from countries and cultures worldwide, representing an exceptionally diverse array of manipulation techniques. These include string puppets, hand puppets, rod puppets, water puppets, bunraku-style puppets, and shadow puppets. The collection spans from contemporary pieces to 18th-century examples crafted with considerable precision. The oldest puppets originate from India, with significant holdings also from Indonesia, Japan, China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Europe. The collection is organised partly according to characters from legends and fables, reflecting the theatrical repertoire. Puppets employing diverse movement techniques are displayed together, illustrating the global evolution of puppetry as both craft and performance art. The French-language source specifically notes that the museum presents "les états de la Marionnette à travers le Monde et les époques" (the states of the Marionette throughout the World and the ages).

Among the collection's distinguished pieces are 18th-century star puppets noted for the meticulous craftsmanship of their fabrication. The museum holds particular significance for its Indian material, including the oldest puppets in the collection from that region. In June 2016, the museum participated in the "100 chefs-d'œuvre à Bruxelles" operation with an exceptional Indian marionette of Hanuman from the Togalu Gombaï Atta shadow puppet tradition of Karnataka, dating from the early nineteenth century. The museum's 2016-2017 exhibition "Hanuman dans la culture de l'Asie du sud" showcased over twenty marionettes representing this mythological hero across various Asian puppet traditions, including Togalu Gombeyyata from Karnataka, Tholpavai Koothu and Pavaikathakali from Kerala, Nang Talung from southern Thailand, and Wayang kulit from Java and Bali. Five unique and ancient pieces from the Ravanachayya shadow tradition of Orissa were also presented. The museum's historical exhibitions have traced the theatre's own puppet creations from Carlo Speder's 1929 production of Les Mille et Une Nuits through to Franz Jageneau's 1958 Mickey marionette created for the Universal Exposition. The 2015-2016 exhibition "Sur les traces de Karageuz" featured over 25 Turkish marionettes, many from the original collection of Jacques Chesnais, alongside Chinese shadows and Wayang Sasak from Lombok. The theatre itself holds the unique distinction of being the only theatre in the world permitted to perform Tintin in Tibet, featuring the first Tin Tin marionette created by Franz Jageneau in collaboration with Hergé (Georges Prosper Remi).

The museum and theatre are housed in an 18th-century farmhouse situated at Avenue de la Forêt 50, on the Avenue de la Forêt/Woudlaan in Ixelles, near the tram stop from Boondael railway station. The building's rural character provides a distinctive setting for the collection, described in promotional materials as a "picturesque rural cottage" and a "magical cave of thousand glitters." The site has served as the permanent home for both institutions since 1968, when Franz Jageneau relocated the operations from their previous premises. The farmhouse setting contrasts markedly with the urban environment of Brussels, offering visitors an unexpected pastoral atmosphere for encountering global puppet traditions. The theatre's gardens complement the historic structure, which has been adapted to accommodate both performance spaces and museum galleries without sacrificing its architectural character.

The International Puppet Museum - Peruchet offers free access to museum visitors during intermissions of theatre performances, which take place every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. The museum can also be visited by appointment for groups, with a minimum of 15 people recommended for such bookings. The theatre strongly encourages visitors to attend a performance and explore the museum during the intermission. The museum's location in Ixelles places it within reach of Brussels' public transport network, specifically via the tram from Boondael station. Under the current management of Dimitri Jageneau, son of Franz Jageneau, the institution maintains its dual function as both active theatre and museum. The theatre continues its regular performance schedule of folk tales, legends, and classics for children and families, while the museum preserves and displays the international collection. The JEM Festival, held every two years since 2013 (except for exceptional anniversary years), brings together European and international puppet companies for ten days of performances, maintaining the institution's role as a hub for puppet theatre in Belgium and beyond.