$48,000
Sold
sold
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Description
40" (102 cm.) Paper mache head with highly-characterized cheerful
expression,glass eyes,leather eyelids,long pointy nose,rosy
cheeks,modeled teeth,very long movable tongue,red mohair wig with
original amusing topknot and side tufts,slender carton
body,elongated fingers,wearing original plaid silk pants with
double suspenders,bronze silk jacket over short vest,striped
stockings,kidskin slippers,an umbrella at his side,and a biscuit
held in his hand. Condition: generally excellent,movements and
music function well. Comments: Henri Phalibois of Paris,circa
1900,the automata has five movements and two tunes. When wound,his
eyelids blink rapidly and alternately,as though winking,while he
lifts the pastry to his mouth; his tongue flits in and out rapidly
as though licking the sugar on the pastry,while his left legs taps
3 times rapidly,and his shoulders heave up and down as though
laughing. The dandy seems torn between more eating,more
flirting,or simply breaking into a frisky foot-tapping dance,and
the amusing actions are enhanced by his wonderfully-modeled
face,bizarre hair and fancy dandy costume. Ex-collection Christian
Bailly of Paris.