French Bisque Musical Automaton "The Spanish Mandolin Player" Leopold Lambert

23" (58 cm.) Seated daintily upon a wooden stool on a red velvet -covered platform is a bisque-head lady with blue glass paperweight inset eyes, dark eyeliner, painted lashes and brows, rose blushed eye shadow, accented nostrils, closed mouth with outlined lips, pierced ears, brunette human hair hand-tied wig over cork pate, carton torso and legs, wire upper arms, bisque forearms, wearing original rose silk dress with elaborate petal and bead appliques and lace trim, with matching pom-pom trimmed slippers and hat. When wound, music plays, the lady moves her head up and down in a nodding fashion, then side-to-side, while moving the mandolin up and down in her left hand, and strumming the keys with her right; meaning her right leg moves up and down in time to the music. Condition: generally excellent, music and movements function wonderfully. Marks: 8 (head) L.B. (key). L. Lambert Fabricant ...(original gilt lettered red label on back along with colorful tune label). Comments: Leopold Lambert, circa 1890, one of the luxury pieces from his collection, with costume created in his own atelier under the direction of his wife. Value Points: all original automaton with gorgeous Jumeau bisque head, luxury original couturier costume, superb movements and music with gorgeous sound, and with rare original labels. This actual automata appears in The Jumeau Book, p.384. $