Musical automaton "The girl playing with a doll"
Musical automaton "The girl playing with a doll"
France
Circa 1890
Simon & Halbig (head)
Fabric, wood, metal, lace, bisque, papier-mâché, ceramics; sewing, painting, joinery, mechanical work
50 x 19 x 23 cm
Stamped mark on the nape: “1300-7 / DEP. / S H”. Red stamped oval mark: “WIMPERN / …TZL GESCHŰTZT”. On the ribbon: “DETROIT DOLL / COLLECTORS / CLUB / REGIONAL / OCTOBER 1977 / REGION 12 / FIRST / PRIZE”
The automaton, fashioned as a girl sitting on a chair with turned elements imitating bamboo and a woven openwork seat, is mounted on a rectangular wooden base. When the spring is wound and the mechanism is switched on, a melody plays: the girl raises and lowers her right hand, and raises and lowers her left hand holding a doll, while smoothly tilting and raising her head and "blinking" as her eyelids with eyelashes lower and rise.
The movements are repeated several times to musical
accompaniment.
1861.1-2/ММП