Rare and Amusing French Automaton "The Illusionist Clown - Losing His Head"by Phalibois

Live Auction

20"(51 cm.) Having a paper-mache head with characterized and oil-painted complexion and clown features,tiny blue glass eyes,comical tufts of hair and wearing a fine silk costume with decorative gilt paper stars and shapes,the Clown stands on a stage,presumably in front of the assembled crowd,a table at his side on which is arranged an over-sized die-cube that hides another matching clown head. Within the velvet covered base is concealed a clockwork motor with three carved wooden animation cams and a one-tune musical movement. Condition: excellent and well-preserved,well-functioning movements. Movements: the Clown nods to the audience,then slowly raises his flared paper fan to cover his face. When he lowers the fan,voila! His head has literally disappeared. Almost immediately,the lid raises on the die-cube and his head (presumably the same,but actually the duplicate) emerges. Then that head lowers back into the die-cube and the lid closes. He lifts his fan again,pauses,then lowers it,and his head has re-appeared,back on his neck. The illusion is so excellent that it appears to be much more than three animations. Comments: Phalibois,circa 1890,perhaps inspired by the performances of Georges Melies,the filmmaker and illusionist who owned the Theatre Robert- Houdin. Larger examples of this piece appear in the National Museum in Monaco and in the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection at the Morris Museum. Value Points: the endlessly delightful antics of the very rare illusionist clown are enhanced by the clever exact duplication of heads with wonderful facial expression.