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...
16th century, ceramic, Europe, fooleum, primary source, Sweden
This ceramic pot handle featuring a jester’s head was found in Nya Lödöse, an archaeological site of a 16th century town beneath modern-day Gothenberg. It may therefore date from the same time. You can’t help but like his broad, beatific smile, as if...
10th century, 7th century, 8th century, 9th century, Americas, ceramic, fooleum, Mexico, primary source
These two wonderful figurines, one of them in the form of a whistle no less, caught my eye and attention. In fact, we mustn’t be fooled – although they are described as ‘jester gods’, this is only a name given by archaeologists due to their...
2nd millennium BCE, Egypt, Egyptian, fooleum, primary source
The earliest reference I have found to a possible court jester concerns a dwarf at the Egyptian court in the 3rd millennium BCE. It appears that dwarfs and pygmies were respected in ancient Egypt, and there is even a dwarf god, Bes.  More to follow on this as I am...
