Equilibriste No. 1 Automaton by Vichy

Description:

Equilibriste No. 1 Automaton by Vichy, with papier-mache head, fixed brown glass eyes, his eyebrows painted as stylized feathers framing beetle on the forehead, open / closed smiling mouth with painted teeth, balancing on swaying ladder on stage-form base containing the massive going-barrel movement driving two-air cartel cylinder movement, four cams, and three levers controlling (back to front) the vertical movement of acrobat's body, lateral movement, head movement, and the swaying ladder, in alternating gold / blue satin costume and short black tailcoat decorated with sequins and applique beetle motif on chest, ht. figure 25 1/2, with ladder 33 1/2, resting 46, and handstand 56 in, five movements, with crank-key and "acorn" stop /start.
Note: The sequence begins with the acrobat standing on the upright ladder, his hands resting on the top rung. The ladder slowly sways as the acrobat rises into a full vertical hand-stand position and then, with his right hand raised in the air, lifts his body three times in arcs of increasing height. As he returns gracefully to his original position, the acrobat nods his head as through in recognition of applause.
Estimate $30,000-40,000

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