$7,000
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sold
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Description
27" (69 cm.) A storytale vignette is arranged under a flower-filled archway on an ebony wooden platform, comprising a smiling gentleman as French soldier with bouquet of flowers, who is standing alongside a bisque-headed lady, seated on a bench, holding her baby. The soldier has paper mache head, blue glass blinking eyes, hinged jaw, mohair wig, carton torso and legs, and hinged arms; the woman has an exquisite bisque portrait head with blue glass eyes, artistically-painted lashes and brows, closed mouth, original luxury mohair wig carton torso, and is wearing silk traditional Normandy nanny costume and coiffe; and the baby has bisque swivel head with brilliant cobalt blue glass eyes, closed mouth, blonde mohair wig, and taufling silk wrap as body. When wound, music plays (two tunes, one of which is Auld Lang Syne), the soldier extends the flowers toward the woman, while his eyes blink and his mouth opens and closes as though beseeching her; meanwhile the nanny vigorously shakes her head side to side as though saying "no, no", then looks toward the baby and extends the bottle to the baby who excitedly lifts its head. Condition: generally excellent, music and mechanism function well. Comments: Phalibois, circa 1880, this automaton was shown in Automata, The Golden Years by Christian Bailly, named "Gallant Conversation". Value Points: the most pleasing well-preserved automaton is enhanced by its imaginative story-scene and music.