The Rare French Automaton "Buffalo Bill"by Gustav Vichy with Smoking Mechanism

Live Auction

28"(71 cm.) Standing upon a flat velvet-covered platform is a tall and slender gentleman posed in a cocksure manner. He has a paper mache head with highly personalized features,hand- blown brown paperweight glass eyes,two rows of carved ivory teeth,leather eyelids,hinged jaw,hair,moustache and beard of brunette human hair,carton torso and legs,and has a hidden "smoking"system that moves through internal rubber tubing and is activated by a keywind pneumatic bellows in the torso. He is wearing his original tan suede jacket with beaded decorations,matching fitted trousers,black leather tall boots with straps and buckles,black leather fitted gloves that flare widely at the wrists,silk shirt and tie,wide leather belt,pressed wool felt Western hat and carries a wooden rifle with leather strap. He holds a cigarette holder between his thumb and one finger in a dandified manner. Condition: excellent,mechanism functions well,original finish is superbly restored. Marks: (Vichy signature winding key and lever). Animations: Buffalo Bill opens and closes his eyelids as though anticipating the smoke he is about to take,turns his head from side to side,leans head down,and lifts the cigarette holder to his mouth. He inhales. Then he lowers his arm,tilts his head back in satisfaction,and exhales in a very realistic manner. Comments: Gustav Vichy,circa 1890,who actually listed the piece as "Buffalo Bill"in his company catalog. Vichy was undoubtedly inspired by the the popular Wild West Show then touring Europe,and starring Bill himself. The model was deposed by Vichy,and it is the only automaton he made that bore an actual person's name,a testimony to the vigorous personality of the Wild Westerner and to Parisian's fascination with his life and times. Another model of Buffalo Bill is at the National Museum at Monaco,Monte Carlo. Value Points: very rare automaton that bears a close resemblance to existing photographs of the American hero,in superb state of preservation with wonderful smoking action.