Rare and All-Original Mechanical

Live Auction

9" (23 cm.) Seated in a three wheeled wicker carriage is a bisque- head lady with blue glass paperweight eyes,painted lashes,brush- stroked brows,accented nostrils,closed mouth,blonde mohair wig over pate,carton torso and legs in seated pose,wire upper arms,bisque forearms,wearing original rose silk and lace dress with matching bonnet. She holds an elaborate steering mechanism with bell horn in the other hand. Condition: generally excellent. Comments: the rare mechanical auto toy was inspired by the "velocipede carriage",a self-propelled three-wheeled cart which was illustrated and described in an 1881 issue of Scientific American; the velocipede carriage was a unique variation of the bicycle craze which originated about that time. When wound,the carriage moves briskly forward and in circles. Value Points: very rare early mechanical auto toy in well-preserved condition.