Rare German 19th Century Mechanical Pull Toy with Early Simon and Halbig Doll

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Live Auction

12" (30 cm.) h. 10" x 6" base. Posed upon a wooden platform with lithographed paper cover and metal spoked wheels, is a bisque head doll with brown glass enamel eyes, painted features, closed mouth, blonde mohair wig, carton torso, wooden arms and legs, painted fancy red stockings and black boots, and wearing her original Normandy style costume. She stands alongside a paper mache cow with flocked finish and amber glass eyes, nearby a wooden bucket and feed trough. When pulled along, the girl bends forward and back as though urging the cow along, and periodically the cow "moos". The elaborate yet simple mechanical strings are visible on the open underside of the base. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: 862 (doll head). Comments: circa 1880, maker unknown. Value Points: unusually beautiful face on mechanical toy, wearing wonderful original costume, with mooing and mechanical movement.