It looks to be a marionette (string puppet). It is hard to tell actually old or if it has just seen a lot of use. Look at the sequins and see if they are plastic or some other kind of material. If they are mass-manufactured plastic, it would have to be later. Look at the hair and see if it appears to be human or some kind of animal, or a synthetic fiber. The white face (I'm guessing that is why you call it Casper, like Casper the Friendly Ghost?) could be Chinese Opera, in which case it could date back to about the 1920's. It could also be Japanese. Is it wood or papier mache?