Musical Automaton "Girl blowing kisses"
Musical Automaton "Girl blowing kisses"
France, Paris
Circa 1905
Pierre-François Jumeau,, Lambert, Léopold
Papier-mâché, fabric, wood, metal, bisque, lace, hair; sewing, painting, joinery, mechanical work, knitting
52 x 18 x 19 cm, weight 3.5 kg
Inscriptions: red stamped mark on the nape: “Déposé Tête Jumeau, Bte. S.G.D.G. 4 HXI”; on the label: “1 Air”, “Le Bi du bon du bane”
The automaton is designed as a figure of a girl mounted on rectangular wooden base with rounded corners, which is fully covered in sand-colored velvet. The girl's head and hands are crafted from bisque porcelain. Her face features blue glass eyes and finely painted eyebrows and eyelashes, and she wears earrings in her ears.
The control mechanism and the musical movement, featuring a comb, a program cylinder, and a spring-driven motor, are housed within the base. A winding key and an on/off switch button are located on the rear side. Decorative framed tune sheet label, listing the name of the melody, is affixed to the underside of the base.
When the spring is wound and the mechanism is activated, a melody plays as the girl raises her right hand to her mouth and moves it to blow kisses, while smoothly turning her head from side to side. The actions then repeat with the musical accompaniment.
1523/ММП