Walking Elephant Automaton by Gaston Decamps, c. 1930s
With leather-covered papier-mâché body with glass eyes, bone tusks and trunk aloft, articulated hind legs, forelegs and forefeet, steel coils under his forefeet to lend him traction, the open-spring motor in the body causing the elephant to walk forwards with a realistic swaying gait, ht. 10 in. x lg. 13 in. (25 x 33 cm), good working condition, re-covered with lamb leather from original Decamps stock. With steel key and stop/start lever. – The sculpture for the walking elephant was an early work by Gaston Decamps (1882–1972) of around 1910. The model appears as No. 666 in the firm's record of moulds and was produced until the early 1950s. Gaston Decamps, a gifted sculptor, had studied at l'Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and used his observations of the animals at the Jardin des Plantes to create models for mechanical animals that moved in a lifelike manner. The model for the walking elephant was one of three of automata by Decamps exhibited in the Musée des Arts et Métiers after WWI. For a comparison to an automaton elephant first created by Jean Roullet, see lot 588, in this auction. – Provenance: Decamps collection. Accompanied by an original c.1930s catalogue of "Jouets Mécaniques & Automates" by Gaston Decamps.

Laufender Elefant von Gaston Decamps, 1930er Jahre
Mit Leder überzogener Korpus aus Papiermaché, Glasaugen, nach oben gerichteter Rüssel, Stoßzähne aus Bein, bewegliche Beine, Vorderbeine zusätzlich mit Kniegelenken, Stahl-Krallen unter den Vorderbeinen, Rollen unter den Hinterbeinen, Federwerkmotor und Mechanik im Körper verborgen. Die Gelenke ermöglichen dem Elefanten einen realistisch schwerfälligen Gang. Maße 25 x 33 cm, gut funktionierender Zustand, Belederung mit Original Decamps-Material erneuert. Mit Stahlschlüssel und Starthebel. – Herkunft: ehemalige Sammlung der Familie Decamps. Anbei: Original-Katalog "Jouets Mécaniques & Automates" der Firma Gaston Decamps aus den 30er Jahren.

Start Price: EUR 800





  • Condition: (2-3/2)

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by Auction Team Breker
May 21, 2016 10:00 AM CEST
Otto-Hahn-Str. 10
50997 Köln , Germany

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€0 €299 €20
€300 €799 €50
€800 €1,199 €100
€1,200 €2,199 €200
€2,200 €3,999 €300
€4,000 €5,999 €400
€6,000 €7,999 €500
€8,000 €15,999 €1,000
€16,000 €25,999 €2,000
€26,000 + €3,000