Passed
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Description
23" (58 cm.) Standing upon a flat velvet-covered wooden platform is a bisque-headed man posed as an organ-grinder. The man has a uniquely-sculpted bisque head with incised wrinkles,sculpted moustache,brown glass eyes,closed mouth with painted double row of teeth,and brunette human hair wig. His carton torso and legs,and metal hands are costumed in rich silk theatrical costume with striped silk bow tie and tall feathered hat. He stands behind a beautifully-crafted wooden street organ with silk curtains upon which is posed a pair of bisque miniature dancing dolls. Movements and Music. Standing still,as if waiting for a crowd to hush,the organ grinder looks from side-to-side,and then,satisfied,he nods and his right arm begins to wind the organ,causing the little dolls to perform their dance. The arm movement is realistic with the appearance of flexing arm muscles. Two tunes play during the performance.Gustave Vichy,Paris,circa 1880. The bisque head appears to be a unique portrait model commissioned expressively for this automaton. Few examples are known to exist. A similar model,with paper-mache clown as organ grinder and monkey as performer was also made by Vichy,and later,during the Vichy/Triboulet era,a grand-sized version of the automaton organ grinder was made by the firm with clown organ grinder and three monkeys.