$1,300
Sold
sold
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Description
10" (25 cm.) Paper mache shoulderhead with sculpted and painted military helmet of Zouave soldier, painted facial features, large eyes, sculpted wide moustache, carton torso, kid arms, cone-shaped lower torso which contains walking mechanism, brass feet. Condition: generally excellent, mechanism intact, unknown if walking mechanism is functioning. Comments: the Autoperipatetikous toy was patented by Martin and Runyan in 1862 and created with a variety of bisque, china or paper mache heads to represent various people, designed to walk forward when wound. This particular model was inspired by the Union volunteer militia of 1861 that had been patterned after the French infantry regiment of Zouaves. Value Points: rare variation of the early toy, with sculpted helmet, all-original Zouave costume.