$7,500
Sold
sold
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Description
14" (36 cm.) A lady of great refinement with
wax-over-papier-mache head,slender face,cobalt
blue eyes,closed mouth with tiny painted
teeth,original brunette wig in extended-length
braids that are elaborately woven with beads and
feathers,carton torso,wire upper arms,metal
hands,tin cone-shaped form under the skirt that
contains mechanism. When she is wound,music
plays,and she glides and turns,whilst strumming
the decorated wooden guitar she holds. Condition:
generally excellent,mechanism and music function
well. Comments: Alexandre Theroude,circa 1860,the
unique cone-skirt protects the hidden mechanism
yet still allows the doll to be costumed in a most
luxurious manner. Value Points: superb original
silk costume with embroidery and applique gilt
designs enhanced by lace,tiny pearls and fine
craftsmanship of guitar on the rare early piece;
this particular piece is photographed in
Faszinierende Welt des Automata by Annette Beyer
(1983),and is ex-collection Marianne Bodmer before
its acquisition by Candy and Aaron Spelling.