#4

French Automaton
Live Auction

$7,500
sold
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Description

20" (51 cm.) A bisque-headed girl with large blue glass paperweight eyes and closed mouth is standing upon a green velvet covered base; she has carton torso and legs, wire upper arms, bisque forearms, blonde mohair wig, cork pate, and a lavish original silk and lace ivory and burgundy costume and elaborate straw bonnet. The girl carries a fruit seller's basket filled with cherries and berries, and holds a cherry in her right hand, and a berry in her left. When keywound, music plays, the girl nods her head forward and backward, then side to side while alternately offering the fruit in each hand. Condition: generally excellent, left arm reglued under costume. Marks: Depose Tete Jumeau 4 (artist checkmarks, on head) L.B. (key). Comments: Leopold Lambert, circa 1890. Value Points: superb automaton with well-functioning appealing movements, costume and theme that complement the musical tune "Mamzelle Nitouche" (Miss Prude), listed on paper label on base.