Okay, so this guy might not be as ancient as we were looking for, but he seems much more relevant and interesting. The characters described remind me of commedia . . .
Albrecht Roser (born 1922 (age 87–88)) is a German master puppeteer based in Stuttgart, Germany. Roser has made a major contribution working with marionettes. He first came to public attention in 1951 with his marionette, Clown Gustaf. Another of his characters, Grandmother, is outwardly charming but savagely humorous in her observations about all aspects of society and the absurdities of life. Roser's work was admired by master puppeteer Jim Henson, who made a film on Roser's work.
Information from Wikipedia . . . but of course, you can find it all on the inter-web . . .
It would be really great to find Henson's film on him. These immediate influences on contemporary celebrities are important, and often ignored.
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