Very Rare French Bisque Automaton "Whistler"by Phalibois with Jumeau Character Series Face

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27"with base. Standing upon a velvet covered round wooden base is a jauntily posed young man,having bisque head with highly characterized features including pursed lips with opening hole,as though about to whistle. The boy has blue glass paperweight inset eyes,painted lashes and brows,shaded nostrils of upturned nose,fine definition of features especially about the mouth and cheeks,separately sculpted applied ears,blonde mohair curly wig over cork pate,carton torso and legs,composition forearms,velvet costume with lace collar,black stockings and shoes,black beret. The mechanism hidden inside the round base is a typical Bontems design spring motor with 2 brass cams. When wound he moves his head in a jaunty circling motion as though whistling while whistling sounds should be heard. Condition: bisque head and figure excellent,mechanism intact except for bellows needing restorative work for proper whistling music. Marks: 205 Depose Tete Jumeau 9 (and artist checkmarks,on head). Comments: the Whistler was a signature creation of the Phalibois firm,appearing as their advertising model for several years at the beginning of the 20th century; however that model was of paper mache and of a larger exhibition size. This earlier model bears an original bisque head with whistling features sculpted specifically for Phalibois' creation in the porcelain studio of dollmaker Emile Jumeau,circa 1892 when the Jumeau character series heads were known to be created. Value Points: rarity factors include both the sculpted head model by Jumeau as well as the Phalibois whistling mechanism.