$94,000
Rare Roullet et Decamps Automaton of the English Comedian Little Tich, with papier-mache head modeled with beaming smile, rosy cheeks, shaded jaw suggesting "five o'clock shadow",mohair wig, and large blue eyes with articulated "dancing" eyelids, one hand holding felt top hat, the other thrust into his left pocket, his elongated wooden shoes resting on slatted oak base with large going-barrel movement driving single-air cylinder movement, three cams, a star wheel with two levers for (foot-tapping and winking motions), and a sprung axis running through metal tube in figure's left leg that enables his body to rotate left or right while simultaneously moving forwards and backwards, in the original two-piece plaid suit with outsized silk buttons, polychrome waistcoat, winged collar and yellow silk cravat, ht. 29 in. Note: Little Tich stands leaning from side to side, blinking his eyes rhythmically accompanied by the alternate tapping of his extra-long boots, plunges forwards at an extreme angle (to the left or right), pauses to doff his hat, and then rights himself again . The performance is repeated with Little Tich leaning in the opposite direction to the previous occasion. Like other large Roullet et Decamps automata, the powerful spring is assisted by a large winding ratchet. The slatted base is made to resemble a stage, and acts as a sounding board for Little Tich's tap dance. Provenance: The Jerry Cohen Collection, Sotheby's, 1993, lot 61. Literature: Mary Tich and Read more…
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2007-10-28
