Very Rare and Unique French Automaton "Temperature's Rising" by Renou

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Standing upon a curved street curb upon which is resting a public street thermometer is a gentleman with a highly characterized paper-mache head,wig,bisque hands,and wearing his original uniquely designed costume that accommodates his unusual activity. He holds a pince-nez in his right hand and walking stick in his left hand. The entire arrangement is presented upon a velvet-covered wooden platform. Movement and Music. Lifting the pince-nez to his face,the man nods in amazement as he witnesses the temperature rising. Then,amusingly,as the temperature goes up,so does he,his body rising as his legs and neck lengthen. Eventually,the temperature reading abruptly drops,he lowers his pince-nez,and he descends to his original height. The scene is accompanied by a melody from a musical box movement.Louis Renou,Paris,circa 1900,the automaton illustrates Renou's talent for gaining the most optical effect from a design of limited mechanical complexity; the amusing piece is,in fact,as much fun to view from behind as from in front. Extremely rare,not another model is known. This particular piece was exhibited at Centre Beaugrenelle in Paris in 1980 where it made its way to the Steinbaum Collection where it has remained until this day.