Musical automaton Musical automaton “Street musician”
Musical automaton Musical automaton “Street musician”
France, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
Circa 2005
Jean Pierre Camus
Wood, metal, papier-mâché, fabric, bisque; mechanical works, sewing, painting, carpentry works, carving
39 x 29 x 25 cm, 1.5 kg
On the stickers on the bottom of the stand: "Automate créé par CAMUS", "Le Pierrot Musical / 9, rue Centrale CH - 1450 Sainte-Croix / E-Mail: pierrotmusical@bluewin.ch". The handwritten inscription 'FAIT MAIN'
Musical automaton in the form of a street musician figure is mounted behind a street organ on the octagonal wooden stand on four flat supports. The top and bottom panels of the stand are pasted over with bordeaux colored velvet, the lateral sides – with tapestry fabric. The edges of the top and bottom sides are trimmed with colored braid. White papier-mâché dog wearing yellow cap and coat and green saucer with biscuits are on the top panel in front of the organ; built-in key for winding the movement is on the rear side. The stylized organ with relief carved onlays on the ornately-shaped front panel stands on two wheels on one side and a cradle – on the other. Paper sheets of music are lying on the organ, the musician holds some music sheets in his left hand, the figure of a pigeon is on the organ top panel. The head and hands of the musician are made of biscuit, his eyes eyelashes and eyebrows are painted. Wide-brimmed, soft brown suede hat with feathers is on his head with shoulder-length dark hair. The musician holds the organ handle with his right hand.
He is dressed in a lined camisole of brown tapestry suede, with cuffs and inserts of red-brown silk fabric. His long waistcoat with greenish-brown pattern is buttoned up. Bordeaux colored trousers with goldish colored buttoned up cuffs, white socks and dark brown embossed leather boots. A collar of greenish silk fabric is on his neck and laced jabot; spherical brown buttons are on yellow cuffs, camisole, hat and camisole lapels.
The lower panel has a sticker reading "Automate créé par CAMUS" in an artistic vignette and goldish colored label of the trade house "Le Pierrot Musical".
Control cam mechanism and music movement with pinned cylinder, steel sound comb and spring drive are housed in the stand, with winding key on the top panel and turning knob for activating the mechanism are on the right hand side.
When the mechanism is switched on, a tune sounds, the musician lowers and raises his left hand with sheet music, simultaneously he turns his head right and left, takes back and restores his right foot, the head of the dog and the figure of the pigeon turn right and left.
Инв.1627/ММП