Musical automaton "The itinerant puppeteer"
Musical automaton "The itinerant puppeteer"
Switzerland, Sainte-Croix
Circa 2005
Steel, brass, wood, fabric, paper, leather; joinery, mechanical work, sewing, painting
48 x 27 x 25 cm
Inscription on the white label affixed to the underside of the base: “Automate créé par CAMUS” (Automaton created by CAMUS); on the goldish label: “Le Pierrot Musical”, “9, rue Centrale CH – 1450 Sainte-Croix”, “E-Mail: pierrotmusical@bluewin.ch”.
The automaton, fashioned as a walking itinerant puppeteer with a puppet theater on his back, is mounted on octagonal base covered with brown baize on top and patterned red fabric on the sides.
When the mechanism is switched on, the figure of the puppeteer comes to life: his right hand holding a puppet rises while the left one lowers, and the left leg moves backward. Then, the left hand rises while the right one lowers, and the leg returns to its original position. The head turns from side to side.
The actions are accompanied by the sounds of musical movement with a cylinder and a comb
Two labels are glued to the bottom.
1629/ММП