A MUSICAL AUTOMATON PICTURE OF DANCING SAILORS BY GUSTAVE VI...

Hammer

€2,000

A MUSICAL AUTOMATON PICTURE OF DANCING SAILORS BY GUSTAVE VICHY CIRCA 1890 two polychrome metal sailors with articulates knees and hips, with painted background depicting a harbour, the case with handle, housing a musical key winding movement with key and stop/start. 35cm high, 40cm wide On May 30, 1764, in Paris, King Louis XV (1710–1774) watched as a gold-plated mechanical duck sat on a podium. The duck proceeded to stand up, flap its wings, stretch out its long neck, and peck at some grain, much to the King's delight. For its grand finale, the duck sat down, settled itself, and then, with a loud quack, stood up once more and—miraculously—defecated onto a silver dish. Canard Digérateur automaton was a mechanical miracle. Voltaire (1694–1778) hailed Jacques de Vaucanson (1709–1782), the inventor of the Canard Digérateur, or Digesting Duck, as the modern Prometheus. While King Solomon is said to have had a throne guarded by mechanical beasts, the origins of automata can be traced back to ancient Greece. Hero (or Heron) of Alexandria, a Greek engineer and mathematician, wrote a treatise on making automata and designed several impressive devices. During the Middle Ages, automatons were used in clock towers to indicate the passing of time and to entertain the public. However, it was from the mid-18th century to the end of the Victorian era that the art of building automata truly flourished. These machines captivated audiences with their complexity and humour. The tradition of automata continued into the late 19th century, especially in Paris, with the expanding market pioneered by makers such as Roullet & Decamps (established in 1886), Léopold Lambert (founded in 1866), and Gustave Vichy (established in 1862). Gustave Vichy, born in 1839 in Paris, took over his family's mechanical toy business after his father went bankrupt. He improved the mechanisms by using metal parts and shifted focus to musical automata. In 1864, he married Maria Teresa Burger, who designed fashionable doll clothes. Vichy innovated in automata production and achieved recognition with awards, including a gold medal at the 1880 World Fair in Melbourne. His son Henry later renamed the firm G&H and integrated phonographs into their products. A similar example is illustrated in Jack Tar A Sailor’s Life: 1750-1910 Marine Art & Antiques, p.151.