$4,000
Sold
sold
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Description
13" (33 cm.) Arranged upon an ebony-finished
octagon-shaped wooden box is a unique bell-glass
aquarium with an interior bubble-glass dome that
enclosed a festively-garbed paper mache acrobat
posed upon a wooden balancing bar. He has painted
facial features,silk and gilt paper costume and
matching cap,and,when the string at the side is
pulled,music plays and the acrobat does a series
of backward tumbles and turns. Condition:
generally excellent,some minor oxidation of glass
at the top of the aquarium which disappears when
filled with water. Comments: maker
unknown,possibly Phalibois,circa 1865; the parlor
aquarium became popularized during that time with
numerous experiments in style and form,this
delightful example with music and movement
evidently designed to please both the fish that
were designed to swim around him,and human
spectators that watched from the outside. Value
Points: captivating and imaginative perspective of
an undersea world,very fine luxury quality of
music,functions well. Few examples are known to exist.