$5,500
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sold
Description
25" (64 cm.) Arranged upon an oval ebony wooden
base is an elaborate vignette depicting a rural
scene with hillside,pond,a windmill at the top of
the hill,and a building with water wheel at the
bottom. A paper-mache man with blue hat is seated
in a tin boat and there are three ducks alongside
the pond. as well as feathered and painted vines
and leaves to create a naturalistic look to the
scene. The scene is preserved under a glass dome
(old repair at the bottom back) with painted
background to suggest the sky. Movements and
Music. The tin boat moves side-to-side as though
rocking in the water while the man waves a stick
at the ducks as though to frighten them away; the
small duck bobs his head up and down as though
drinking from the pond,and the larger duck pivots
back and forth as though swimming. The waterwheel
revolves,the windmill turns,and the glass
waterfall appears to pour forth. There are seven
movements and two tunes,altogether creating a very
activated,yet charming and sentimental,country
scene. Phalibois,circa 1880. This is the only
example of this model with such a large number of
movements and elaborate detail known to exist.
Ex-collection Christian Bailly.