skekEkt the Ornamentalist Skeksis Puppet Head from The Dark Crystal

This is the head of the skekEkt puppet from the 1982 film The Dark Crystal. skekEkt the Ornamentalist is part of the Skeksis race, who are reptilian bird-like creatures. They wear ornate robes but underneath they are decaying. The Skeksis rule through the power of a darkened crystal and live in a decrepit castle. skekEkt the Ornamentalist made clothes, especially for himself, of opulent fabrics that were covered in jewels.

The Skeksis head is large and elongated with glaring glass eyes and a long pointed beak with jagged protruding teeth. The head is made of foam and latex that has been elaborately painted with tones of brown, black, white, and red, which gives the face a mottled coloring. There is a red feather flourish on top of the head along with jeweled dangling earrings. There are wires coming from the base of the head which are connected to controls that were used to move the head and facial features. During filming, the entire Skeksis puppet required two puppeteers to perform. One performer carried the weight of the body of the puppet on a harness on his or her hips, while the second performer was tucked inside the costume. In addition to the two main puppeteers, a team of assistant puppeteers was needed to truly bring the creature to life.

The Dark Crystal was a fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz and released in 1982. The film was made entirely with the use of puppets and features no human actors. In the film, two members of the Gelfling race, Jen and Kira, go on a journey to return a lost shard of the dark crystal in order to defeat the evil Skeksis and restore balance to the planet Thra before it is too late.