36". Posed upon a large wooden platform with green velvet floor is an acrobat clown with paper mache head, artistically painted white complexion highlighted by blushed cheeks, two beauty spots and inverted V-shaped eyebrows. He has brown glass eyes, a row of painted teeth, brunette mohair wig, and paper mache body. He wears a rich stylized costume of yellow silk with perfectly fitted sleeves and bodice, matching tights, with lavish paillette and fringe decoration. He stands centered by two white chairs.
Movements: The acrobat stands silently as tough waiting for the crowd to hush, then lifts his right arm, lowers it, grasps a white chair and lifts it, all the while flexin ghis arm and wrist and nodding his head. He then re-sets the chair on the stage. Then he balances his full weight on the backs of the chairs and slowly lifts his body, first perpendicular with the floor and finally completely upside down. While he is upside down, he lifts his head up and down, then lowers one chair, and finally, lowers himself.
Historical Notes: A series of gymnast clowns were created by Vichy at the end of the 19th century. This model, named gymnast, No. 517, was described in the Vichy catalog as a deposed model. Parisian society was enthralled at this time with live performances at the Cirque Nouveau and Moulin Rouge, and the creation of acrobat automata found a ready audience. However the sophisticated mechanisms and music, and couturier-quality costuming of Gymnast, placed it in the luxury class and, thus, few models were ever made, making it a great rarity today.