Depicting an exotic dancer with veiled headdress and garland of flowers, shapely papier-mâché body with articulated breast-plate for breathing motion, Simon & Halbig bisque head, fixed blue glass eyes and blonde mohair wig, dressed in original crêpe and satin costume, posed descending a flight of stairs before an arched vista in palace setting, with electric Marelli motor, original gear-train, 7-inch (18 cm) diameter wood driving-wheel and three cams, in paneled and marbled two-tier Apolo cabinet, figure 22 in. (56 cm), cabinet: ht. 79 x wd. 40 x dp. 25 ½ in. (200 x 102 x 65 cm) at widest points.– The dancer moves her torso sinuously, swaying her head and heaving her breasts as she raises and turns the garland of flowers. The automaton functions, however – like all older electrical devices – we strongly recommend that the buyer has the motor and wiring checked by an electrician before use. – Provenance: "The Dance of the Veils" was part of the Atracciones Apolo, an indoor amusement park opened by Josep Vallés Rovira on Parallel Avenue, Barcelona, in 1935. Atracciones Apolo was a popular destination and featured in two films: "Apartado des Correos 2001" (1950) and "El fugitivo de Amberes" (1955). – Alongside the magic grotto, ghost train and other rides, the park also housed the famous "Museo las Maravillosas Figuras en sus Dioramas" (Museum of Marvellous Figures in their Dioramas) of automata in floor-standing cabinets with scenery designed and painted by the artist Martí Llauradó. – The Apolo's automata had presumably once formed part of an older Spanish collection, as the majority of the figures originated in the workshops of Gustave Vichy, Leopold Lambert and Roullet et Decamps. The dancer in this piece appeared in a 1911 Decamps catalog as "Almée", a reference to the Egyptian musicians, dancers and storytellers who instructed the wives and guests of seigneurs in harems. – According to an article published by "Edición del Domingo" on 19 August 1990, the Apolo's automata museum closed in 1957. After the park closed its doors to the public in 1991, its collection of automata and mechanical effects was dispersed amongst La Fira bar in Barcelona, the Museu de Joguets i Autòmats in Verdú and a well-known antique doll specialist in the South of England. – The "Dancer of the Veils" is a one of only a handful of automata still with their original Apolo cabinets, scenery and accessories. A rare and historic piece from one of Spain's oldest amusement parks. – Literature: "A Great and Magical Collection", catalog of Museu de Joguets i Autòmats, pp. 313–325; "Edición del Domingo", 19 August 1990, p. 18. http://archivo.elperiodico.com/ed/19900819/pag_018.html.