Music, Motion, Fancy
Sunday, November 23, 2008 | 11:00 AM Eastern
Auction closed.
Music, Motion, Fancy
Sunday, November 23, 2008 | 11:00 AM Eastern
Auction closed.
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Description
Rare Automata from the Golden Age
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The Beautiful French Musical Automaton "Bebe Ombrelle" by Leopold Lambert 6000/8000
Lot # 1 (Sale Order: 1 of 156)
20" (51 cm.) Standing upon a patterned-gold velvet-covered wooden base is a bisque-headed girl with blue glass paperweight eyes, beautifully painted features, closed mouth, pierced ears, long flowing blonde mohair wig, carton torso and legs, bisque forearms. The little girl is holding a butterfly net in one hand and a wooden-handled parasol in the other. She wears a frail silk and lace dress with ribbon trim and straw bonnet. Movements and Music. She turns her head side-to-side and nods, alternately delicately lifting the parasol, and then swiftly dropping the net as though to capture a butterfly that has been roused by the breeze of the parasol. One tune is played, La Grosse Caisse, according to original paper tune label on the base. The movements and music function well, depicting the Parisian's love of nature, albeit the doll appears in fantasy luxury costuming more suitable for the salon than for the garden. Leopold Lambert, circa 1890, the doll appeared in the Lambert catalog named Bebe Ombrelle, #36. The doll head was commissioned from Emile Jumeau and is marked "Tte Jumeau Bte SGDG 4".
French Musical Automaton "Bebe Jeu de Grace" by Leopold Lambert 6000/8000
Lot # 2 (Sale Order: 2 of 156)
19" (48 cm.) Standing upon a rose-velvet-recovered wooden platform is a bisque headed girl with brown glass paperweight inset eyes, artistically painted features, closed mouth, pierced ears, blonde mohair wig, carton torso and legs, restored bisque forearms She is wearing her original somewhat-worn silk and lace dress with maroon silk ribbons, matching bonnet, shoes and socks. She is holding two maple-wood sticks (baguettes) with velvet-covered handles and, positioned on a wire frame in front of her so as to appear to be flying in the air, is a chenille-velvet-covered hoop (coronne). Movements and Music. The girl turns her head from side-to-side as though watching the movements of her hands and the hoop. She flicks her wrists side-to-side, trying to capture the hoop onto the sticks, while the hoop moves back and forth, as though she is playing the French traditional garden game jeu de grace. Music plays, En revenant de la Revue according to the original tune label. Leopold Lambert, circa 1886, the automaton appeared in the Lambert catalog as #8 Bebe Jeu de Grace, with rare model bisque head marked "Depose Jumeau 4". The automaton gracefully depicts the popular 19th century garden game, and its movements and music function well.
French Musical Scene Animee "Monkey Violinist w/Singing Birds", Attributed to Bontems 10,000/15,000
Lot # 3 (Sale Order: 3 of 156)
26" (66 cm.) Seated in a wooden glen under the over-reaching branches of a tree and alongside a hillock which frames a clock, is a paper-mache monkey with painted features, hinged jaw, and wearing 18th century style silk and velvet costume. Tucked into the tree branches are feathered birds and a hummingbird in nest. A twisted glass waterfall is present. Movement and Music. The monkey turns his head and nods while opening and closing his upper and lower lips as if singing, while his right arm strums the violin. The birds turn side-to-side and flit among the branches while chirping. The waterfall pours forth. There are 11 animations and two tunes. Attributed Blaise Bontems, Paris, circa 1885, likely in collaboration with Phalibois. The monkey head and the cluster of six brass cams that control the bird movements are of Bontems style, along with the two bellows that provide the chirping bird sounds, Independently controlled is a pull-string wound, 44-note musical movement by Mermod et Cie that bears the patent date of 1882. The clock, over-wound, has an 7-day movement and is also independent of the automaton movement. The rare scene animee is one of the rare examples of interaction among different automaton makers.
French Musical Scene Animee "The Monkey Landscape Artist" with Clock by Phalibois 12,000/18,000
Lot # 4 (Sale Order: 4 of 156)
27" (69 cm.) Arranged upon an ebony wooden base under an oval glass dome is a costumed gentleman monkey, posed in a bucolic setting under a silk-leaved tree arbor, faux-mossy ground base and large paper-mache rock formation, The Monkey Artist stands in front of a wooden artist easel with canvas, and holds a palette and paint brush. He has a paper-mache head, glass eyes, grey mohair wig and beard, leather-skin jaw, carton torso, wooden hands, legs with painted stockings, and is richly dressed in silk shirt and breeches, and velvet vest. Movement and Music. In sequential and naturalistic movements, the Monkey Artist blinks his eyes, nodding and turning his head. He curls back his lip while his mouth moves, as though conversing with an unseen passer-by. Meanwhile he dabs the palette and then adds deft strokes to the canvas. Periodically, he pauses in a self-admiring way to contemplate his masterpiece, a still-life of flowers. Two tunes play. The animations are created by six, Phalibois-style cams. The two tune music is provided by the original, pull-string musical movement that can be changed at will by means of an exterior control. The original timepiece bears the maker's stamp on the rear "Japy Freres & Cie"; its original silk thread suspension was converted to spring suspension; the clock retains its original face, hands, and bell. Jean Phalibois, circa 1880, the scene animee was featured in the 1884 toy catalog of Silber and Fleming with the note "the manner in which it takes the colour from the palette and then proceeds to paint is very natural". The monkey artist was more often produced in a seated position without the clock; this standing version with clock is rare.
French Musical Automaton "Bunny in Cabbage" by Roullet et Decamps 3500/4500
Lot # 5 (Sale Order: 5 of 156)
8" (20 cm.) Hidden inside a paper-mache cabbage with silk leaves is a white fur-covered bunny with amber glass eyes, hinged mouth, on ears. Music and Movement. The bunny, hidden inside the cabbage with only his ears peeking out, suddenly pops from the cabbage, turning his head from side to side as looking out for danger. He suddenly opens his mouth, revealing the cabbage leaf he is chewing, and pops down inside the cabbage again, still safe. Music plays. Roullet et Decamps, circa 1910. A series of automata were made by the firm, featuring animals, children, chefs, and other amusing figures hidden inside flowers, pots and such. The mechanical arrangement remained constant, and only the vignette scene varied; the series was popular and remained in the company line for a number of years.
French Mechanical Walking Piglet by Roullet & Decamps 1500/2000
Lot # 5.1 (Sale Order: 6 of 156)
13" (33 cm.) l. A hide-covered paper-mache pink piglet is constructed with articulated neck and legs, brown glass eyes, and curly tail. He trots along with animation on his short little legs, quickly turning his head side-to-side and emitting "oinks" in a charming manner. French, Roullet & Decamps, circa 1910 from their series of walking or leaping farm and exotic animals.
French Musical Automaton "Bergre Watteau" by Jean Roullet 15,000/21,000
Lot # 6 (Sale Order: 7 of 156)
24" (61 cm.) A bisque-head lady with refined portrait modeling is posed standing upon a velvet-covered stand, having brown glass paperweight eyes, closed mouth, brunette human hair, bisque shoulder plate, carton torso and shapely legs, bisque forearms and hands, wearing a superb silk costume in the 18th century style, with matching bonnet and silk ruffle-edged apron, and holding a shepherdess crook. Appearing to be held in her right hand is a woven lidded basket is which is tucked a little lamb; the basket is actually attached to her torso by hidden metal rods. Movements and Music. Her head turns as though gazing at her flock of sheep while she lifts her crook to guide them along. Meanwhile the lid of her basket lifts, as though the baby lamb is just awakening. The lamb's head peeks out, turns side-to-side, and his mouth opens and closes. The shepherdess turns and nods at the baby lamb, gestures her crook tenderly as though to say "go back to sleep". The lamb bleats and tucks back into the basket. The lid closes. There are six movements and one tune. Jean Roullet, Paris, circa 1880, with commissioned bisque portrait head from the doll factory of Emile Jumeau, marked "Depose Tete Jumeau Bte SGDG 7". The automaton, known as "Shepherdess with Lamb" appeared in an early Roullet catalog named Bergre Watteau in homage to the French painter Jean-Antoine Watteau whose early 18th century romantic paintings had idealized the French countryside. In variations of the automaton, the lamb was substituted by a baby goat, and the crook by a bouquet of flowers. $15,000/21,000
A Beautifully Inlaid French Walnut-Cased Serinette with Original Label from LaPrevotte 1500/2500
Lot # 7 (Sale Order: 8 of 156)
12" (30 cm.) x 9". The walnut-cased box with fine burled and inlay wood designs and cast iron turning handle offers 10 tunes emanating from the wooden barrel and 20 metal pipes. The simple songs are heard when the crank is turned and wooden levers at the side are activated. Miracourt, France, maker unknown, early 19th century, the serinette was offered by LaPrevotte of Marseille, according to its original paper label which indicates that the firm offered organs, serinettes and instruments. The ink-script paper tune label lists the ten tunes. The serinette, mostly produced in the Miracourt region of eastern France in the late 18th/early 19th century, was a source of simple amusement and entertainment in the home; a painting by Jean-Batiste Simeon Chardin (1699-1779) depicts a well-coiffed lady sitting at a table, winding ta serinette and patiently watching her nearby caged canary for signs of sound.
French Serinette by Labert-Humbert with Original Maker's Label and Tune Card 1500/2500
Lot # 8 (Sale Order: 9 of 156)
11" (28 cm.) Encased in a lovely table-top sized fruitwood box is a hand-driven barrel organ with 10 open metal pipes. Its sound, consisting of 8 short tunes whose names are listed on the ink-script paper tune label on the inside lid, is created by turning the wooden hand-crank at the box exterior. Labert-Humbert, Mirecourt (Vosges), early 19th century. The original purpose of the serinette (from the French word serin for canary) was to teach domestic canaries to sing. Interestingly, one of the tunes is Le Bois de Boulogne, a popular bird watching site in Paris. Bearing the original maker's label, this serinette is preserved in fine original condition. $1500/2500
Swiss Singing Bird Tabatiere by Bruguier in Original Velvet Case 10,000/18,000
Lot # 9 (Sale Order: 10 of 156)
4" (10 cm.) x 2 1/2". Encased in a fancily engraved silver gilt and enamel case with re-entrant corners and an oval lid featuring a detailed hand-painted floral bouquet on the lid. The lid opens to reveal a song bird with iridescent plumage on a pierced grill. The bird box is presented in its own leather transit case. monogrammed E.O., with purple silk lining and a compartment at the rear for winding key. Movements and Music. Wound from the underside and put in play by means of the lever on the front, having five animations: turning body side-to-side, wings flapping, head turning independently of the body, lower beak opening and closing, tail fluttering. The birdsong cycle is made up of six melodic stages, some of them in staggered repetition and the sequence determined by a shifting cluster of cams within the mechanism. The sequence is 1,2,3,2,3,4. Jacques A. Bruguier, Geneva, from the family of singing bird makers, possibly the last of the famous names to build fine quality bird boxes, circa 1875.
Very Rare French Singing Double-Bird Box, Attributed to Bontems 15,000/25,000
Lot # 10 (Sale Order: 11 of 156)
4 1/2" (11 cm.) x 3 1/2". Encased in an extremely ornate, bombe-contoured, cast copper case with gilt finish and tooled and engraved with numerous designs, including a detailed miniature engraving of an outdoor setting on the base featuring a waltzing couple and signed "Faucherre,sc". The box is presented in its original rosewood case with mother-of-pearl designs and burgundy silk lining.Movement and Music. When the box is wound at its underside by a separate key, the lid opens and two feathered friends very actively turn side-to-side, their wings and tails fluttering, their beaks a-twitter as a delightful birdsong emerges. The mainspring is larger than on single-bird boxes in order to accommodate the duo, yet of an ingeniously compact design. There is a double pump and reservoir bellows, a short, cylinder-type slide whistle and eight, finely cut, shifting cams in a cluster, along with two additional cams that control the turning of each bird side-to-side. There are ten animations. Attributed to Blaise Bontems, Paris, circa 1890. This very rare double-bird box served as the color, cover piece for Mechanical Music, the Journal of the Musical Box Society, International in August 1996 and it accompanied the reprint of a 1928 piece on Singing Birds written by Alfred Chapuis and Edouard Gelis.
French Animated Singing Birds "Bosquet avec Oiseaux" by Bontems 10,000/15,000
Lot # 11 (Sale Order: 12 of 156)
30" (76 cm.) x 22"w. x 12"d. Arranged upon an ebony wooden high base is a naturalistic setting featuring a large leafy tree that is populated with 17 colorful singing birds, and a butterfly, while nearby is a glass waterfall and pond. Movement and Music. The highly animated vignette includes birds looking down from above, some turning side-to-side and others pecking at the ground or drinking from the water pond. Twelve of the birds sing, with animation of the head, beak and wings, and two of the birds flit from branch to branch. The butterfly has wings a-flutter, and the waterfall appears to pour forth. Innumerable animations. Blaise Bontems, Paris, circa 1840-1850. The extremely early mechanism contains two small bellows which provide the lifelike chirping sounds, and a French clockwork motor driving a very long arbor that carries numerous wood, brass and steel-pegged cams, as well as turned wooden pulleys that create all the animations. The wooden cams and pulleys, combined with the general hand-crafted design of the mechanism, indicate that this is from the very earliest of Bontems production. Although, from 1849 onward, Bontems had advertised "mechanical pictures, musicians, and a new system for tightrope walkers" it is for these splendid bird scenes that his name is most remembered, although some critics of the time cuttingly noted that the birds were out of proportion to the tree, choosing to ignore the intricacy, fancy and romance of the piece.
French Musical Automaton "Young Girl with Book and Butterfly" by Renou 6000/8000
Lot # 12 (Sale Order: 13 of 156)
18" (46 cm.) Seated upon a high wooden silk-cushioned chair is a bisque-head girl with blue glass movable eyes, painted features, blonde mohair wig, carton torso and lower legs, bisque forearms. A butterfly is attached to a curved wire and appears to flit above her head; she holds a book in her right hand. The little girl wears her atelier-original rose silk satin dress and slippers, with paillette-jewel and lace trim. Movements and Music. The little girl studiously reads her book while the butterfly flits about. She tries to nod her head to distract the butterfly and finally lifts her book in a "go away" manner while her eyes look upward. The butterfly, however, never leaves. Music plays. Renou, circa 1900. The doll is marked "S.H. 1039". A charming garden setting theme combines luxury costume and presentation into a timeless vignette. The object is very fresh and unplayed with, functioning well, and preserved in its original wooden packing box.
French Musical Automaton "Little Girl with Bird and Flowers" by Leopold Lambert 6000/8500
Lot # 13 (Sale Order: 14 of 156)
19" (48 cm.) Standing upon a green velvet-covered base is a bisque-headed girl with large blue glass paperweight inset eyes, closed mouth, beautifully painted features, pierced ears, blonde mohair wig over cork pate, carton torso and legs, bisque forearms. She is wearing her original sienna velvet and patterned silk costume with lace trim, ivory silk bonnet, and is holding a small bird in one hand, and a bouquet of flowers in the other. Movements and Music. The little girl turns her head from side-to-side and nods, then turns her right hand to and fro as though to offer a treat to the little bird, and finally lifts her left hand as though to exhibit her trained bird. One musical tune is played; according to the original paper tune label it is Carmen.Leopold Lambert, Paris, circa 1890. The doll is marked "Depose Tete Jumeau SGDG 4". Music and mechanism function well. A rare model with charming activity.
French Musical Automaton "La Mascotte" by Gustave Vichy 12,000/18,000
Lot # 14 (Sale Order: 15 of 156)
24" (61 cm.) Standing upon a flat velvet-covered wooden platform is a bisque-headed doll with brown glass paperweight eyes, closed mouth, lovely painted features, pierced ears, blonde mohair wig, bisque shoulder plate with carton torso and legs, bisque forearms. She is costumed in rich velvets and silk satins with hand-painted designs, and carries a uniquely-shaped wicker market basket with hinged lid that contains a bird.Movements and Music. Although the basket appears to be supported by her arm, it is actually attached to her torso by metal rods through which the action is created. The girl turns her head side-to-side and then nods while raising the lid of the basket to reveal the sleeping bird, which then awakens, lifting its head and chirping. There are two tunes. Gustave Vichy, Paris, circa 1890, The doll is marked "Depose Tete Jumeau 7". The model was likely inspired by the 1880 operetta La Mascotte by Edmond Audran that captivated Paris for more than 1000 performances. In the operetta, set in 17th century France, the farm-girl Bettina (La Mascotte) brought good luck to whoever possessed her as long she remained a virgin. In an act I duet, Bettina tells Pippo she loves him almost as much as she loves her cherished farmyard birds. This automaton delightfully captures the essence of the operetta theme.
French Scene Animee "Windmill and Ship at Sea", Attributed to Phalibois 3000/5000
Lot # 15 (Sale Order: 16 of 156)
20" (51 cm.) Arranged upon an ebony wooden oval platform is a dimensional tower with hand-painted details including man at the window, shuttered windows, pathways with fence, and such. At the top of the path is a windmill, and inside the tower is a waterwheel. A paper constructed "stormy sea" is at the side of the tower, in which is positioned a skillfully constructed wooden and paper ship. An oval glass dome with painted sea, mountain and sky scene fits over the base and provides an extra dimensional effect. Movement and Music. The windmill blades turn, the water wheel revolves, and the ship bobs up and down in the moving waves. Lovely quality music is heard. Attributed to Phalibois, circa 1875, the music and mechanism function well. Excepting the non-original windmill blades, the scenery and painting are original and artfully created.
Early French Hand-Wind Mechanical Toy "Woman at the Well" 3500/5500
Lot # 16 (Sale Order: 17 of 156)
18" (46 cm.) Standing upon a zinc-lined wooden base with faux stone and brick finish, decorated with a cast brass medallion of woman's head centered by two cherubs, is a paper-mache lady with original shaped muslin body, wearing antique costume, apron and lace cap. She stands alongside a tin pump with turning handle and internal pulley that connects to the water reservoir below. Movement. When the pump handle is turned, it causes water to arise from the reservoir below, pouring into both containers that are attached. French, circa 1840, an early and rare toy likely designed to teach the rudimentary principles of locomotion, well preserved with some fading of original paint, missing bracket at top of pump.
Early French Paper-mache Mechanical Toy 900/1400
Lot # 17 (Sale Order: 18 of 156)
10" (25 cm.) Holding the handles of an early wooden garden wheel-barrow with metal spoke wheel and dove-tailed jointing is a paper-mache man with swivel head, painted hair and moustache, carton padded torso, wooden legs with painted shoes, wearing his original silk costume with hinge-attached cap that presumably bobs up and down as he moves along. Seated on the wheelbarrow is a miniature version of the same man, presumably a child, yet also having a moustache. When keywound, the man moves his legs alternately, pushing the wheel-barrow forward. French, circa 1850, maker unknown. The mechanism is contained within the man's torso.
French and Elaborate Musical Scene Animee "Windmill and Pond with Fisherman" by Phalibois 6000/8000
Lot # 18 (Sale Order: 19 of 156)
25" (64 cm.) Arranged upon an oval ebony wooden base is an elaborate vignette depicting a rural scene with hillside, pond, a windmill at the top of the hill, and a building with water wheel at the bottom. A paper-mache man with blue hat is seated in a tin boat and there are three ducks alongside the pond. as well as feathered and painted vines and leaves to create a naturalistic look to the scene. The scene is preserved under a glass dome (old repair at the bottom back) with painted background to suggest the sky. Movements and Music. The tin boat moves side-to-side as though rocking in the water while the man waves a stick at the ducks as though to frighten them away; the small duck bobs his head up and down as though drinking from the pond, and the larger duck pivots back and forth as though swimming. The waterwheel revolves, the windmill turns, and the glass waterfall appears to pour forth. There are seven movements and two tunes, altogether creating a very activated, yet charming and sentimental, country scene. Phalibois, circa 1880. This is the only example of this model with such a large number of movements and elaborate detail known to exist. Ex-collection Christian Bailly.
Outstanding and Unique 19th Century French Musical Automaton "The Magnificent Peacock" 50,000/75,00
Lot # 19 (Sale Order: 20 of 156)
54" (137 cm.) h. with tail up. Perched proudly upon a red velvet-covered walnut base above a fluted walnut pedestal is a life-sized Peacock with rich feathers in brilliant, iridescent, turquoise colors. The peacock measures 54" in depth with tail feathers down, and the width of the tail, fanned-out is 85". The peacock on pedestal with tail feathers up is 96" in height. Movement and Music. The Peacock begins its grand performance in the tail-down position, regally he turns his head and body separately from side-to-side. then he proudly raises his elegant tail plumage and fans his tail out for the fullest effect. The bird then turns side-to-side again, such that all can appreciate his beauty. At the conclusion, he lowers his tail back down in a graceful and realistic manner. All the while, music plays. The mechanism employs a spring-wound Vichy-style motor with four, large-diameter brass cams, some original and some replaced. The smoothness of the performance is partly due to roller bearing cam-riders. There is a two-tune 36-note Reuge musical movement, and while technically there are four animations, the entire performance is so seamless as to appear infinite. Maker unknown, likely French, mid-to-late 19th century, No other examples of this extremely rare model are known in this grand life-size. It was likely a special commission work, or created for presentation at Paris International Exhibition of 1878 or 1889. Although the Peacock had symbolic importance in the arts for more than 3000 years, it was during the later 19th century, especially in the Art Nouveau movement, that it came to full bloom. The homage to the Peacock in 19th century art can scarcely be over-stated. There was the scandalous Peacock Room decorated by James Whistler in 1876, the William Morris Peacock Tapestry of 1887, and the superb Indian Mayuri Peacock bowed lute, to name a few. Even within the world of magic, there was the grand-sized Peacock used by magicians such as Robert-Houdin, Maskely
French Mechanical "Strolling Peacock" by Decamps 3500/6500
Lot # 20 (Sale Order: 21 of 156)
8 1/2" (22 cm.) A realistically modeled peacock has an interior structure comprising metal carriage that brackets the clockwork mechanism and is, in turn, enveloped by a well-contoured paper-mache bird-body, then covered with iridescent green and blue peacock plumage and having yellow glass eyes. The peacock rests upon realistic-looking metal legs, and the peacock can be aided in its walk by two hook-shaped metal supports from behind. Excluding the feathers, the bird is 8 1/2"h. When the tail is down, the length is 20", but when the tail fans out, the dimension blossoms to 23"wide and 18"height. Movements. With alternating leg movements, the peacock gracefully moves along while turning its head, and finally the tail fans out, and then returns to resting position. Decamps, the model appeared in a Decamps catalog as model 100, circa 1910.
Another Model of the French "Strolling Peacock" by Decamps 3500/6500
Lot # 21 (Sale Order: 22 of 156)
8 1/2" (22 cm.) A duplicate example of #20, with variations in feathering. Decamps, model 100, from his catalog, circa 1910. $3500/6500
Swiss Automaton Pocket Watch by Reuge 3000/4000
Lot # 22 (Sale Order: 23 of 156)
2 1/2" (6 cm.) In the form of a gold-plated pocket watch, it doubles as a fob, having animated scene under a bezel on the top and a beautifully engraved musical motif on the rear lid. The watch-face depicts a country scene with man-on-horse and lady.Movement and Music. The animation concerns the lady pumping well water for the horse, the horse drinking, and the man trying to keep grasp of a newly caught falcon that is trying to fly free. The hidden "surprise" of the watch is on the backside, as when the lid is opened, it reveals an animated, erotic scene. The movement has a lever escapement, 17 jewels. A one-air 17-note musical movement accompanies the action. The music and animated scene can be activated anytime manually, or the alarm can be set to start the music. Reuge, S.A., Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, circa 1990s. The pastoral scene was designed by the enameller Carlo Poluzzi after a painting by Lancret, and the design on the rear was inspired by a Moreau engraving. There is a Breguet-style ratchet winding key in the form of a lyre.
Animated Silver Match Safe in Original Presentation Box 5000/10,000
Lot # 23 (Sale Order: 24 of 156)
2 1/4" x 1 1/4" safe.The silver-plated over copper match safe opens to reveal an animated erotic scene. The hinged lid operates to wind the spring. The match safe is presented in a beautifully fitted fine wooden presentation. Maker unknown, circa 1900.
Musical Box as Unusual Table Accessory 500/750
Lot # 23.1 (Sale Order: 25 of 156)
10" (25 cm.) x 10". A wooden framed tile with charming sepia image of dog head and collar, has a hidden music box within the frame that actuates from winding key and push/start lever. This is known as a Musical Trivet. Circa 1900. $500/750
