St George and the Dragon'

Although ship lanterns were the earliest and for many years the most common lantern form, a very different type, incorporating animal and human puppet figures, became increasingly popular from the 1950s onwards. Such lanterns often depicted religious stories or legends (familiar to both Muslims and Christians alike) and copied pictures or scenes from lithographs that used to be available in Freetown.

This lantern depicts St George on horseback, spear in hand, slaying the dragon which, according to legend, was demanding human sacrifices.