All profits donated to upkeep of Pollock’s as it seeks storage and a new premises.

Pollock’s Toy Museum & Mink are proud to present: Harlequin! Designed with vintage pins and Harlequin characters in the Museum archive in mind, this pin is a loving celebration of the history of Pollock's Toy Museum. Lively, cheerful and frolicsome is he! Pin him to your lapel and find a spring in your step!

With its origins in the Commedia dell'Arte of the 16th Century, Harlequin has represented a combination of humour and sadness, romance and entertainment. The Harlequin was a valet or servant, and acted as the comic relief.

In the shows Harlequin has the power to create stage magic in cahoots with offstage craftsmen who operated trick scenery. Armed with a magic sword or bat, Harlequin treated his weapon as a wand, striking the scenery and objects to transform the set!

He is very important to Pollock's Toy museum as the popularity of the toy theatre coincided with the rise of the Harlequinade in the mid 1800s. In the early days of the museum in the 1960s, David Bowie was a regular visitor, and it's not too much of a leap to see where he may have got some of his inspiration for some of his stage outfits!

• Soft enamel pin
• 40mm high
• Specially designed theatre backing card
• 7 colours with gold plating
• 2 red rubber clutches
• Engraved with logos & the character’s name
• Guaranteed good time