Rare Drinking Polar Bear Automaton by Decamps, c. 1920

With rabbit-fur-covered papier-mâché body, carved wood paws, glass eyes, articulated head, mouth, arms and right elbow, open-spring motor (with stop/start button) in the body and separate pull-string cylinder musical movement playing a drinking song from "La Traviata", on leatherette-covered base with satin-lined draw for the steel key, ht. bear 16 ½ in. (42 cm), total 19 ½ in. (50 cm). – The bear lifts and tips the flask to pour liquid into the cup, which he lifts to his mouth, throws his head back, appears to take a gulp and then drains the cup. The cup returns to the midway position and the bear repeats the feat of pouring and drinking again and again. The liquid travels through a pipe in his left arm, around his shoulders and back into the flask, using the force of gravity to create the illusion of drinking. An ingeniously simple and effective automaton by Gaston Decamps, in good working order.

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)