A monkey-person with composition head having leather-lidded glass eyes, painted reddish complexion with dark shadows around the nose and mouth, flocked moustache, grey mohair periwig, carton torso and legs, and metal hands is wearing an elaborate silk Marquis costume decorated with lace jabot and cuffs, bow tie, and silk buttons and topped by a Marquis hat with pom-poms. He holds a meerschaum cigarette holder in his right hand and a gilt-framed lorgette with unusual square shaped frames in his left hand, and stands upon a green velvet flat base. An internal system of rubber tubing allows the smoking action. Movements: in a highly detailed and realistic manner he turns his head from side to side, lifts his cigarette holder, inhales three times, lowers head, turns head to the center, pauses and exhales, lifts left hand with lorgnette while tilting back head, opens and closes mouth as though satisfied with the cigarette draw. The Marquis Monkey Smoker, named Singe- Fumeur, appeared in the department store catalog of Au Louvre in 1884 priced in the luxury category at 130 FRANCS. It also appeared in the catalog of the London toy merchant, Silber and Fleming, in 1885 described as "figure richly dressed in satin and velvet. In his right hand he holds a meerschaum cigarette holder, which he raises to and from his mouth, and from which, when a cigarette is put in, he smokes in a most perfect manner, moving it up and down to his mouth and puffing out the smoke." France,1875. 25" height (63 cm). Eight movements. Four tunes. Exhibition: Bagatelle,Paris,1993.