Automaton
Category
Toys
Date
circa 1960
Materials
Metal, plastic, rubber and fabric
Measurements
310mm (height); 133mm (width)
Place of origin
Japan
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 659777
Summary
Battery operated automaton of a jolly bartender (circa 1960). The model stands on a square tin base painted in triangles of red, green, black, yellow and white, with a red and yellow on/off switch. He has a rubber face with short light brown hair and moustache. The movable blue black eyes are inset. He has a small plug in each ear. He has a hard body with thin metal legs and arms. He is wearing a navy-spotted blue shirt with 2 fawn buttons and a black bow tie. He has a short red velvet coat with fawn revers, and a fawn and red flower on his left lapel. Stiff navy blue spotted cuffs with a black diamond-shaped cufflink protrude from his long sleeves. His trousers are in black velvet with large black metal shoes. In his right hand he holds a metal and plastic cocktail shaker and in his left a plastic funnel. In front of him is a metal bar painted red, grey, green and yellow with 'BARTENDER' printed in white edged with green. Underneath is a hinged yellow flap opening to reveal space for 2 batteries. There is a red plate with green wires leading from it. On the base are 4 small hollow cylindrical black rubber feet .