Automaton "Ballerina, looking in the hand mirror"
Automaton "Ballerina, looking in the hand mirror"
France
Circa 1910
Porcelain, paper, wood, metal, fabric (velvet, silk, lurex), beads; painting
25 х 32 х 56 cm, 3 kg
Figure of a girl is presented on a stand. Rectangular wooden stand is on four round metal feet and is covered with burgundy velvet. The girl is dressed in silk red blouse with floral motifs, along the upper edge decorated with a silk golden-yellow trimming with a frill and metalized braid. The shirt is decorated by a silk frill of the same colour as the bows. The collar is made of metallized yellow ochre braid, ornated with pomegranate jewels. Cuffs on the sleeves of the shirt are decorated with lace braid, silk bows and brown-beige flowers with three pearls. White lace skirt with frills, floral elements and drop-shaped patterns. The skirt sides are decorated with metalized fabric smocks. A three-layered silk bow adorned with a twig of artificial flowers is on the girl's head. Drop-shaped earrings with ruby-coloured jewels are in her ears. White mesh pantyhose and golden colour silk shoes, supplemented along the perimeter with metalized ribbon, decorated with beads on the toes are on her feet. Thin red silk stripes trimmed with beads and ribbons with multi-coloured beads are on the ankles. The girl holds a mirror in her left hand and a fan in her right hand. The fan and mirror edges are decorated with lurex and embroidery from the external side, the center of the fan is adorned with dark yellow jewel. Porcelain head and hands, papier-mache legs.
Musical movement is fitted in the stand, wound with the aythentic key marked "LB" on the rear side, and activated by the lever. When the movement starts, the girl raises and lowers her left leg, fanning herself and looking in the mirror.
Инв.1526/ММП