$8,500
Sold
sold
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Description
21" (53 cm.) h. doll. 14" w. A bisque head doll with brown glass paperweight eyes, painted lashes and brows, closed mouth with outlined lips, pierced ears, brunette mohair wig over cork pate, carton torso and legs, wire upper arms, paper mache lower arms, is standing in front of a fine rosewood piano with ebonized finish borders and sides, bone and ebony spring-tension keys, and with shaped columns, ormolu triple-arm candle holders and side handles, music sheet, and porcelain vase with silk flowers. When wound, the pianist moves in a realistic manner, turning and nodding her head as if alternating between reading the sheet music and watching her hands on the keys, while her forearms move sideways across the keyboard, and, independently up and down as her hands approach the keys. Condition: generally excellent, well-functioning. Marks: Depose Jumeau (incised on head). Comments: Gustav Vichy, circa 1884, his pianist automaton was made in several variations including as seated lady doll or (in this example) as a standing young girl. Value Points: luxury details of the automata include fine woods and ormolu and porcelain decorations on piano, fine antique costume on the doll of red wood with soutache trim; the "Depose Jumeau" doll model is rarely found on automata and also signals the luxury production.