"Flutiste Ethiopien" Musical Automaton by Gustave Vichy, c. 1880
With leather-covered papier-mâché head, brown glass eyes with articulated eyelids, articulated mouth with carved bone teeth and tongue, lamb's wool wig, gutta-percha hands with moving fingers holding turned maple flute, going-barrel motor with intermittent three-air cylinder musical movement in the body, standing with one leg crossed over the other on velvet-covered base, in striped silk breeches, cream silk shirt and red satin tailcoat with striped lapels and cuffs, ht. 31 in. (79 cm), good working condition. With steel key stamped "G.V." and brass acorn-form stop/start. – Movements: The intermittent cylinder musical movement, timed to accompany the figure's actions, is a rare feature found on only a handful of automata by Vichy. As the automaton raises the flute to his lips, the music begins, his eyelids flutter and his fingers play lightly over the stops. After a complete tune is played, he lowers his flute and the music pauses. He looks up, moves his mouth as though announcing the next title, raises the flute and the sequence recommences with his second tune. – Background: Scientifically classified in 1843, gutta-percha is a natural thermoplastic material produced from the sap of the Isonandra Gutta tree native to the Malay Peninsula. The sap was heat-treated and formed into gutta-percha bricks for export, which the eventual manufacturer would soften in hot water and mould to a high-definition and then paint, polish or even gild. The material was used in products as diverse as mourning jewelry, golf balls, musical snuff box cases and even underwater telegraph cables. – Gutta-percha was used in the toy industry by Adelaide Huret and Leverd et Cie as a material for doll bodies and by Gustave Vichy for the articulated fingers of his more elaborate automata. The material was malleable enough for detailed modelling of the finger lines and nails and sufficiently lightweight, and yet still strong, for the playful movements of the fingers over the stops. – Literature: Illustrated in Bailly, "Automata, the Golden Age, 1848–1914", p. 238; Michael Canadas, "La Gutta Percha". – An elegant Vichy automaton, companion piece to Vichy's "Ethiopian Harpist", Lot 572 in this auction.

Musik-Puppenautomat "Flutiste Ethiopien" von Gustave Vichy, um 1880
Mit Leder überzogener Kopf aus Papiermaché, braune Glasaugen mit bewegliche Lidern, beweglicher Mund, geschnitzte Zähne und Zunge aus Bein, Lammwoll-Perücke, Hände aus Guttapercha, bewegliche Finger, gedrechselte Pfeife aus Ahornholz, mit überkreuzten Beinen auf dem mit Samt überzogenem Sockel stehend, gekleidet mit gestreiften Seidenhosen, cremefarbenem Seidenhemd und rotem Satinfrack mit gestreiften Revers. Korpus mit Federwerk, Mechanik und im Intervall spielendem Musikwerk mit 3 Melodien, Höhe 79 cm. Gut funktionierender Zustand, mit "G.V." geprägter Stahlschlüssel und ahornförmiger Messing-Starthebel. – Mechanik: Das im Intervall spielende Musikwerk ist mit den Bewegungen der Finger gekoppelt, diese seltene Funktion ist nur bei wenigen Vichy Automaten zu finden. Wenn der Musiker die Flöte an den Mund hebt, fängt die Musik an zu spielen, die Augenlider zucken und die Finger bewegen sich zart über die Flöte. Nachdem ein ganzes Lied gespielt ist, senkt die Puppe die Flöte ab und die Musik pausiert. Der Flötist schaut nach oben, bewegt seinen Mund, als würde er den nächsten Titel ansagen, hebt die Flöte wieder an den Mund und spielt ein weiteres Stück. – Literatur: Abgebildet in Bailly, "Automata, the Golden Age, 1848–1914", S. 238; Michael Canadas, "La Gutta Percha". – Ein eleganter Automat von Vichy, das Gegenstück zu dem "Ethiopian Harpist" in dieser Auktion (Lot 572).

Start Price: EUR 9000





  • Condition: (3/2-)

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by Auction Team Breker
May 21, 2016 10:00 AM CEST
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