Automaton
Category
Toys
Date
1890 - circa 1899
Materials
Wood, glass, satin, lace and mohair
Measurements
450 mm (length); 230 mm (width); 510 mm (height)
Place of origin
France
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 664291
Summary
An automaton music box (circa 1890 to circa 1899) consisting of a pair of monkey musician automata, seated on velvet covered boxes, on an oval wooden plinth covered by a removable glass dome. The back of the glass dome is painted with a rural scene of a castle, a boat on a river, flanked by trees. A metal hoop, decorated with artificial flowers and leaves, rises from the oval wooden plinth and encloses the two monkey musicians. Each has glass eyes and open mouths revealing painted teeth. They have manmade grey hair and beards, and carved wooden hands. Their heads rotate. Each is dressed in a very elaborate satin jacket and breeches trimmed both with white lace and gold coloured decorative trim. One wears a blue hat (with gold coloured decorative trim), a blue and pink jacket and pink breeches. He plays a miniature wooden guitar. The other wears a gold coloured jacket, creamy beige breeches and a pale pink hat. He plays a miniature wooden violin. The oval plinth rests on four feet. At one end of the plinth a metal knob and a cord with a bead on one end, protrude. Presumably when pulled these operate the music box inside the oval wooden plinth. Total number of items is 2.
Provenance
Loaned to the Museum of Childhood by the Betty Cadbury Trust Sudbury in May 1993.