$13,000
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sold
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Description
27" (69 cm.) Standing upon a velvet-covered wooden
platform is a paper-mache man with ebony-black
complexion and highly-characterized expression,his
wide beaming smile enhancing the highly sculpted
cheek-bones. He has brown glass eyes,articulated
eyelids,sculpted thick black brows,hinged
jaw,painted teeth,carton torso and legs with
slender adult shape,paper-mache hands,black wiry
hair,and is wearing a fine original costume
comprising jacket with long tails,patterned
vest,shirt with high flared collar,chain fob,black
leggings,red silk shoes,and carrying wooden fiddle
with painted floral decorations.Movement and
Music. Standing proudly and with a wonderful
gleeful expression,he turns his head
side-to-side,nods,strums the fiddle,and blinks his
eyes while music plays. Leopold
Lambert,Paris,circa 1890. A closely similar model
appeared in the Lambert catalog as Negre
mandoliniste,model 24bis. The head was described
particularly as "caracterisee" suggesting that a
unique character model had been sculpted for this
automaton.