Marotte

A jester shown with a marotte in a 1540 woodcut by Heinrich Vogtherr the Younger

A marotte is a prop stick or sceptre with a carved head on it. Jesters usually used a Marotte. The word is borrowed from the French, where it signifies either a fool's (literal) "bauble", or a fad/craze.

Typically carried by a jester or harlequin, the miniature head will often reflect the costume of the jester who carries it. Modern marottes typically have music boxes or other machinery built into the head. Older marottes may utilize swivel heads with bells.

In the children's TV series Rentaghost, the stick was referred to as a "Tiny Timothy".

In Verdi's opera Rigoletto, the singer of the title-role—who is a jester—carries a marotte, which often has on it the faces of comedy and tragedy.

See also

• Cap and bells