Musical automaton "Dancer with tambourin"
Musical automaton "Dancer with tambourin"
France, Germany
Circa 1900
Roullet & Decamps , Simon & Halbig
Papier-mache, wood, metal, fabric, lace; sewing, mechanical work, painting
Height 53 cm, 2 kg
Red stamp on the head under the braid: “Wimpern” and repoussed: “S&H, 1039, Dep”
Automaton in the form of a dancer with tambourin is mounted on rectangular, covered with red velvet stand. Bisque head, open mouth, articulated flirty blue glass eyes with cloth upper lashes, pierced ears, dark-brown hair wig, adult papier-mâché body with bisque shoulder-plate and hands, one raised aloft, the other resting on her hips, with a single-tune going-barrel movement playing "Faust Waltz" and causing the dancer rotate by 45 degrees on her right heel, while stamping her left foot, twirling the tambourine, swaying her head and looking left and right, in lace-over-satin costume and velvet bolero jacket. With steel key.
This item was a gift of Nicholas II, Tsar of Russia, to Olga and Elizabeth, daughters of Prince Nicholas and Princess Ellen of Greece in 1904 or 1905.
Инв.2703/ММП