Musical Automaton Gymnast by Vichy-Triboulet, c. 1910

With plaster-composition head, fixed brown glass eyes, open smiling mouth with two rows of modeled teeth, curly mohair wig, shapely papier-mâché body, two painted wood chairs and wood base containing large going-barrel motor driving five cams and four-air cartel cylinder movement, dressed in elaborate gold silk circus costume trimmed with glass beads and sequins, ht. standing 35 in. (89 cm), base 13 ¼ x 19 ½ x 8 ¼ in. ht. (34 x 50 x 21 cm), face repainted. The automaton was substantially restored during the early 1990s. Rebuilt/replacement elements include the motor, musical movement, parts of the base and the figure's right hand. – The performance begins with the gymnast standing between the two chairs. He raises the chair in his right hand and flexes his wrist, then lowers the chair and elevates his body into a handstand position. In mid-air he raises the chair a second time, flexes his wrist, lowers his head and then lowers his body slowly back to a standing position. The gymnast looks up as if for applause and, as the conclusion to his performance, raises his right arm again – this time without the chair! – Provenance: Sotheby's, London, 10th November 1995, lot 220. Christie's South Kensington, 3 May 2006, lot 201. – Literature: Mary Hillier, "Automata & Mechanical Toys", p. 100 for similar piece. – A celebrated Vichy design of great ingenuity, the trick of lifting and lowering a free-standing object was an accomplished feat for an automaton of the early 20th century. The head – a rare model – is usually found on the Vichy "Clown Serpent" automaton, illustrated on p. 94 of "Automata, the Golden Age" by Christian Bailly. An impressive performer with great 'stage presence'!

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)