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Lot Essay
Another Renou acrobat of the same design was sold at Christie's in Mechanical Music and Automata, 20 May 2003, lot 1016.
Details
A rare Renou acrobat automaton
with papier-mâché head, smiling mouth, painted teeth, fixed brown glass eyes under arched black brows, blue and yellow clown's wig and bisque hands, balancing between two white-painted wood chairs on polychrome carpet, the going-barrel movement playing one air and causing the figure to slowly push the chairs apart by lifting his body at ninety degress, then rising to a vertical handstand position, arching his back and forking his legs, moving his head to balance before lowering himself to the ground, in the original yellow bolero jacket trimmed with blue sequins and silk-covered buttons, ruff and pale blue pleated panatlons -- 20½in. (52cm.) in handstand, (handstand movement in need of attention), circa 1890.
with papier-mâché head, smiling mouth, painted teeth, fixed brown glass eyes under arched black brows, blue and yellow clown's wig and bisque hands, balancing between two white-painted wood chairs on polychrome carpet, the going-barrel movement playing one air and causing the figure to slowly push the chairs apart by lifting his body at ninety degress, then rising to a vertical handstand position, arching his back and forking his legs, moving his head to balance before lowering himself to the ground, in the original yellow bolero jacket trimmed with blue sequins and silk-covered buttons, ruff and pale blue pleated panatlons -- 20½in. (52cm.) in handstand, (handstand movement in need of attention), circa 1890.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis
This lot is subject to Collection and Storage charges