$8,500
Sold
sold
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Description
14" (36 cm.) l. 10"h. monkey. A paper mache monkey with glass eyes and open mouth with painted teeth,has wooly hair,block torso and legs,wire upper arms and paper mache hands in which he holds two cast brass gavels. The monkey is dressed in original silk Marquis costume with lace and gilt paper trim,and is posed upon a festively-decorated three-wheels velocipede with brightly-painted metal gong bell at the front which he beats with his gavels,a five-arm tin suspension at the front with brass ball tips,and an intricate metal frame at the back with suspended metal bells and tassels. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: Vichy a Paris (impressed on mechanism). Comments: Gustav Vichy,circa 1860,when wound,the monkey appears to vigorously pedal the velocipede,whose wheels turn forward and in circles,causing the bells to rings,while meanwhile his arms tap the gong,his head turns side-to-side and his eyes blink open and closed. Value Points: very rare early mechanical toy in wonderfully-preserved original condition,beautiful design of costume and gong decoration,and perfectly functioning.