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Large Handcrafted and Working Antique Automaton w. Rare Circus Clown & Monkey
About the Item
Extremely rare, circus related antique automaton from a Swiss collection.
Via a Swiss trade contact we were given the opportunity to purchase this extremely rare and all handcrafted automaton. Unfortunately the lady who had owned it for the last 40 years had passed away and had never mentioned where she purchased this unique collectible. Since she owned many rare antiques, it was known that she had also made purchases at renowned auction houses. Because of the absolute rarity of this circus automaton we would not be surprised if that is where she purchased it. Every collector is different and to this lady it apparently was important to keep a piece like this, exactly as she found it (truly original). As you can tell, from the clown's clothing particularly, this rare automaton has never been restored. It is for that reason that the clown's silk clothes are almost completely warn and lost all their color. You can even see 'the base' of this clown's colar. We are not sure if the hand-painted heads, hands and feet are ceramic or if they are paper mache, but they all are in excellent condition. With the circus clown sitting on a table-like stool and the monkey on a high pedestal to get them 'level-eyed', it is also possible that the monkey is supposed to portray a ventriloquist dummy. The wind-up mechanism (located inside the body of the clown) could only run very shortly and that is why we had it cleaned. It can now again run its full length of appr. one hour and five minutes. Underneath the clown's warn silk clothing one can see how the clown's torso is covered / made up of small newspaper parts and since they are in German, this leads us to believe that this automaton was either Swiss or German made. To find an antique automaton with more than one moving character is rare. To find one with a circus clown and circus monkey makes it extremely rare. To find one that is completely original, working properly (with the original key for winding it) AND for it to be this large probably makes it museum worthy. So if you like the rarity, beauty, subject matter, originality and size of this one of a kind automaton as much as we do then maybe you should be the next custodian of this antique eye-catcher.
Mind you, our fair price for this large and extremely rare antique includes perfect packing and also worldwide shipping from our store to your door in just 3 to 6 days.
Maximum height x width x depth: 20.7 x 13.2 x 10.2 inches.
We have a passion for the unique, for quality, for stylish yet practical and for the best craftsmanship of years gone by. Your purchases will be extremely well packaged and we look forward to serving you (again).
- Dimensions:Height: 20.7 in (52.58 cm)Width: 13.2 in (33.53 cm)Depth: 10.2 in (25.91 cm)
- Style:Victorian (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Beads,Brass,Felt,Fruitwood,Glass,Metal,Paint,Paper,Silk,Spruce,Cast,Hand-Carved,Hand-Crafted,Hand-Painted,Inlay,Patinated
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1880-1900
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. This unique clown automaton is completely original and it runs with a relatively loud tik-tok. This is, partially, because there are no clothes (around the opening in the neck especially) to dampen the sound. Please also read our item description.
- Seller Location:Lisse, NL
- Reference Number:Seller: FiGQ9839063402 Free Shipping1stDibs: LU2341342731172
About the Seller
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- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Lisse, Netherlands
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