$15,500
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Description
30" (76 cm.) Seated upon a wooden taboret that is decorated with inset "jewels" of various colors is a paper mache woman with rich brown complexion, brown glass eyes, finely sculpted facial features, open mouth with row of teeth, black mohair wig, carton torso with shapely female form, elegantly posed slender legs crossed at her knees, and paper mache lower arms with fingers posed to pluck the harp which she holds. The mechanism and music are hidden beneath the taboret seat and are activated by winding key and lever at the taboret side. Condition: generally excellent, original overall with some craquelure on finish of legs, music and mechanism function well. Comments: Vichy, circa 1867, when wound, music plays, and she turns her head as though in time to the music, blinks her eyes open and closed, and plucks the strings of the harp. The automaton was presented in the Vichy catalog as "Harpiste Mauresque" and was likely part of the series presented at the 1867 Paris International Exposition, designed to appeal to traveling international aristocracy. Value Points: rare automaton whose luxury details include finely decorated taboret, well-crafted original wooden harp with figural lady's head on frame, original costume of rich silks and tapestry, elaborate gold and turquoise jewelry and hair ornaments, and with beautiful refined movements and music.