$23,000
Sold
sold
Click image to enlarge
Description
30" (76 cm.) A gilded,garland-entwined arrangement
is set upon an oval ebony-wooden base,centering a
theatre-like mirrored alcove in which a boy
acrobat performs balancing acts on the soles of
his fellow acrobat. Above the alcove is a clock
(unsigned) with enameled,porcelain dial,spring
suspension,two-train time and strike (hours and
half-hours) and its original pendulum. Movements
and Music. Extraordinary and numerous variations
on the acrobat's dance include the up & down
movement of both his thighs,both his calves
in-and-out,his left arm,the lifting-off of his cap
in salutation,and his head nodding. The adult
figure on his back moves both his legs
side-to-side as well as turning his head
side-to-side. The animations are controlled by a
large,pinned and bridged wooden cylinder mounted
above the musical movement and drive by the
latter's mainspring. There are 11 cam-riders,7
which direct finely threaded connections that pass
directly up and into the rear of the boy acrobat
in order to effect the separate animations. The
four-air cylinder musical,serial number 21194,has
a 5_" l. cylinder and a cast brass,copper-plated
bedplate. There are 11 animations and four
tunes.Phalibois,Paris,circa 1865,with musical
movement of L'Epee of
Sainte-Suzanne/Montheliard,France. When seeking a
quality musical box,it was not uncommon for
Parisian automaton-makers to chose their fellow
countryman rather than Swiss makers.