4th century, Americas, ceramic, figurine, fooleum, Mexico, primary source
This striking hunchbacked dwarf from the Colima culture of western Mexico has been dated to 300-400 CE. While we can’t say ‘This is a jester’, we know that jesters could often be dwarfs and dwarfs often jesters, with or without a hunchback. We also...
4th century BCE, ceramic, Europe, figurine, fooleum, Greece, primary source
Some of the early antecedents of European jesters can be found in Greek and later Roman comic actors and mimes, some of whom would step out of the script and shoot their wit from the hip. This endearing group of terracotta comic actors from an Attic burial has been...
14th century, 15th century, Africa, figurine, fooleum, primary source
This beautiful brass figurine is striking and all the more so for being a rare sign of court dwarfs (or jesters?) in Africa.  Dated to 14th-15th century Edo, capital of the Kingdom of Benin (not related to the modern-day country of Benin). GAP MAP: More research...
