A bisque-head clown is balanced upon the top of a white ladder, the arrangement presented upon a velvet covered wooden box platform. The acrobat is wearing original striped silk shirt with black velvet and sequin trim, silk pants, and has unusual wire-framed wings and silk cap. He has bisque head, brown glass paperweight eyes, closed mouth, blonde mohair wig, carton torso and legs, composition hands posed for balancing.
Movements: The acrobat balances himself in an upright position with his weight on his hands, then slowly raises his body into a perpendicular and, finally, upside down balancing position. Then he lifts his left hand, supporting his body on his right hand, repeats the motion three times, and then lowers his body to starting position.
Historical References: The popularity of the acrobat automaton made it a favored subject for the Roullet & Decamps firm. This model is a variation of two similar pieces with paper mache heads shown in the firm's original catalog. In one variation the acrobat balances on the back of the chair, and in another he balances upon the hands of a larger clown. The example shown here, with ladder and bisque head, was likely made as a commercial piece for Parisian Etrennes catalogs. however despite its simplification the movements remain realistic and intricate. Circa 1895.