Tightrope Dancer Musical Automaton by Jean-Marie Phalibois, c. 1

Depicting dancer flanked by harpist and fiddler under a flowering tree, all three figures with bisque heads, moulded blonde hair, painted eyes and partly original paper-trimmed costumes, on ebonized base containing two-air pull-string cylinder movement and going-barrel automaton movement with eleven boxwood cams that cause the dancer to leap en-pointe, kick his legs alternately and raise and lower his head while the musicians look from side to side, the fiddler bows with his right arm and the harpist plucks the strings with movements of both arms, ht. 26 ½ in. (68 cm) including antique glass dome, with size 13 key. Attractive example of a popular genre, in good working condition. –Provenance: ex-collection of Jerry Steinbaum, Los Angeles. Silber & Fleming of London advertised "mechanical rope dancers" for £ 12, 12 shillings in their 1884 catalog.

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)