Soirée: Antique Dolls and Automata
Over 250 of the world’s finest and rare antique dolls, automata, and music boxes are offered on Saturday, May 14th featuring the collection of the late Ron Connor of Rogers, Arkansas collected over many decades. 9" x 12". Softbound. 160 pages.
$75.00
Catalog Lot List details
18" (46 cm.) Bisque swivel head on kid-edged bisque shoulderplate, grey glass enamel inset eyes, painted lashes, feathered brows, accented nostrils and eye corners, closed mouth with accented pale lips, pierced ears, blonde mohair wig over cork pate, all wooden body with shapely torso, dowel-jointing at shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles, additional swivel jointing at waist and mid-thighs. Condition: generally excellent. Marks: 4. Comments: Pierre-Francois Jumeau, circa 1870. Value Points: exquisite beauty of the wide-eyed poupee, with luxury-quality all-wooden body having extra features of swivel waist and thighs and jointed ankles, wearing superb early aqua silk gown, undergarments, leather boots.
Presale Estimate:
4500/6500
Realized Price:
$5,500
68" (173 cm.) h. x 25"w. c 21"d. The fine oak cabinet with detailed carving is designed to hold a selection of up to twelve 15 1/2" musical discs in a movable carriage. By turning the dial at the right side of the cabinet, a user can select a favorite tune, and after inserting a 5 cent piece, the disc raises from the storage rack and plays. After the tune is played, the disc returns to its slot in storage rack below. The clear glass front door allowed the public to watch the amazing clockwork mechanism while the performance took place. This particular Regina model features the acoustically advantageous piano sounding board. There is a hidden coin drawer which also kept safe the original winding crank. The cabinet rests on four cast iron cabriole legs. Excellent condition, working and sounding very well. Included are an impressive array of 61 original 15 1/2" Regina music discs. American, Regina Music Box Company of Rahway, New Jersey, circa 1900, the model is often known as "the first jukebox".
Presale Estimate:
8000/12,000
Realized Price:
$6,500
28" (71 cm.) h. x 17". x 12". Two highly-animated be-wigged monkey musicians with paper mache heads, glass eyes, moving upper and lower lips of painted kidskin, very characterized features, painted wooden lower limbs and clothed in 18th century style aristocratic costumes are posed seated atop a rosewood cabinet while playing the violin and large cello, with wooden music racks at their feet. The cabinet contains an eight-air, hand-driven, reed-playing barrel organ. When wound, they play the instruments in a lively animated fashion, with movement of head, lips and arms. Condition: mechanism and music function well, the cabinet and monkeys are structurally excellent. Comments: Thibouville-Lamy, France, circa 1875. the firm originated as makers of musical instruments in 1790 and later added barrel organs to their trade, drawing upon the works of artisans of Mirecourt, France where that artisan trade was centered. It is speculated that the monkey figures were supplied by Theroude. Value Points: well-preserved and delightful automaton with fascinating historical background.
Presale Estimate:
5000/7000
Realized Price:
$4,000
26" (66 cm.) h. x 35"w. x 18"d. A large wooden case features a stage-front with theatre curtain which disguises the performance hidden behind it. After coins are inserted, the double-comb, 8-tune, sublime harmonie cylinder mechanism starts playing. Quickly, the curtain rises to reveal five bisque dolls which twirl merrily around, the movements accentuated by drum and bells percussion instruments.There is a coin-drawer below for collection of the coins. Excellent condition of both cabinet, mechanism and music, well-functioning actions and with wonderful sound. Ex-collection of Paul Gendre of Paris from which it was acquired by Ron Connor. Railroad travel was well established thoughout Switzerland by the late 19th century, and, much like the scene in today's airport terminals, activities were introduced to railroad stations that would simultaneously entertain the waiting passengers and also make a tidy profit. Auguste Lassueur of Ste-Croix, Switzerland, hit upon the notion of placing coin-operated mechanical music boxes in the waiting rooms on the Jura-Simplon Railway Co. in Switzerland. He commissioned works from several music box makers in Ste-Croix, most notably Alfred Junod-Turin. The Lassueur creations were of several designs including a musical carousel and this dancing theatre of dolls. Auguste Lassueur, Swiss, circa 1887.
Presale Estimate:
8500/10,500
Realized Price:
$8,750
26" (66 cm.) x 17"w. x 10"d. Styled as a miniature double-door armoire with surmounting clock and finials, the cabinet is made of fine fruitwoods and walnut veneer which are enhanced by inlay and painted designs on the doors. The double comb mechanism plays a 9" diameter music disc (eight included). Very good unrestored condition, lacking winding crank. Swiss, Barnett Henry Abrahams of Ste-Croix, circa 1900. Prior to 1895, Abrahams was a British agent for fancy goods stores in London, specializing in the importation of musical boxes. In 1895 he established the B.H. Abrahams Company in Ste-Croix, now producing his own music boxes but continuing the emphasis on placing musical movements into functional objects such as tables, cigar cabinets, or, as in this case, miniature armoires.
Presale Estimate:
2500/3500
Realized Price:
$3,250
24" (61 cm.) Bisque socket head, amber-brown glass paperweight inset eyes, thick dark eyeliner, painted lashes, mauve blushed eye shadow, brush-stroked and feathered brows, shaded nostrils, accented eye corners, closed mouth with defined space between the shaded and outlined lips, dimpled chin and philtrum, separately modeled pierced ears, brunette hand-tied human hair wig over cork pate, French composition and wooden fully-jointed body with straight wrists, beautiful rose brocade costume with silk fringe and cord, antique undergarments and superb silk bonnet, Jumeau stockings and leather shoes signed "Bebe Jumeau Depose". Condition: generally excellent. Marks: Depose Jumeau 10 (incised) Bebe Jumeau Hors Concours. Comments: Emile Jumeau, circa 1885. Value Points: rare model made for one or two years only, has a superb expression enhanced by fine luminous patina, original body and body finish, signed Jumeau shoes.
Presale Estimate:
4000/5500
Realized Price:
$4,250
19" (48 cm.) A bisque head doll with blue glass eyes, painted features, open mouth, four porcelain teeth, blonde mohair wig, carton torso and legs, wire upper arms, and bisque forearms, is standing upon a velvet-covered wooden base with ebony feet, alongside a tripod table. Standing on the base is an all-bisque doll with blue glass eyes, and jointed limbs. The larger doll holds a wooden baton in one hand, and balances the all-bisque doll in the other. When wound, music plays and she turns her head side to side, waving the baton in one hand, as though to accompany the little "dancing" doll. Condition: generally excellent, music and mechanism function well. Marks: 44-21 (doll). Comments: French, circa 1900, with bisque head by Gebruder Kuhnlenz. Value Points: charming vignette automaton, the doll wearing original rose silk dress with matching bicorn hat.
Presale Estimate:
3500/6500
Realized Price:
$4,250
27"(69 cm.) overall. 10"shoulder width. Of fine ivory and black silk in alternating vertical bands edged by silver braid, and decorated by matching lappets with silver bells at their tips, the costume was designed for wear at a luxury Parisian festival party by young child. Excellent condition. French, circa 1885.
Presale Estimate:
700/1000
Realized Price:
$750
37" (94 cm.) h. 22" base. Arranged upon a red velvet covered wooden base is an elegant lady seated at a piano-harp. She has a bisque portrait head with brown paperweight inset eyes, thick dark eyeliner, painted lashes, rose-blushed eye shadow, brush-stroked and feathered brows, accented eye corners, shaded nostrils, closed mouth with beautifully-shaped outlined lips, separately-modeled pierced ears, paper mache shoulder plate designed to allow "breathing", carton torso and legs in seated pose with glued-on stockings and heeled shoes. bisque forearms with exquisite hands, wearing elaborate and elegant silk and lace costume with pearl jewelry. The piano-harp is painted pale yellow with gold-leaf painted carved borders and decorative painted colorful flowers, and has surmounting harp and sheet music rack. When the automaton is wound and lever released, the lady moves her hands across the top of the keyboard as though performing, turns her head, and "breathes" as though in awe of her own beautiful music. Four tunes play. Condition: generally excellent, early and fine restoration of painting and costume with antique fabrics and materials, mechanism and music function well. Marks: Depose Tete Jumeau 10 (and artist checkmarks on head). Comments: Vichy, the model appeared in the firm's catalog described as "Piano Watteau", catalog number 466, and was designated as a deposed model by the firm, circa 1888. Value Points: extremely rare luxury quality automaton with splendid bisque portrait face, compelling presence and movements including breathing, very beautiful presentation.
Presale Estimate:
25,000/35,000
Realized Price:
$22,500
13" (33 cm.) A bisque-headed couple are posed in each others arms, in formal dance position, each with blue glass eyes, beautifully painted facial features, carton torso, paper mache legs and metal hands on man, bisque forearms on woman. Each doll has its original white mohair wig in very elaborate coiffure, and is wearing its original blue and ivory cream silk ballroom costume in the 1790 style, the woman with original pearl necklace and earrings, and silk floral arrangement in hair. The woman fits upon a metal cone "skirt" that contains mechanism, and is hidden by her silk skirt. When wound, the dolls twirl about, pause, reverse, repeat, and meanwhile the entire piece glides along on three wheeled-base. Condition: generally excellent, music and mechanism function well. bisque heads perfect, some restoration to woman's fingers. Marks: (two tune paper label are on base indicating "La Jolie Parfum" and "L'Espana Valse"). Comments: Gustav Vichy, circa 1880. A paper note, handwritten in 1959 and attached to the metal cone tells the provenance of the automaton, detailing that in 1880 "mon grand-pere Jules Boissier" brought some dolls from Paris to his six year old daughter Caroline, adding that the automaton that the piece had passed down in the Boissier family, to Isabelle, then to Jules and, in 1959. finally to Noel. It was after this time the time piece was acquired at a Theriault's auction from the original family, Value Points: superbly-preserved luxury automaton combines exquisite sculpting of faces with couturier costumes, original music and tune labels, and realistically-rendered elegant dance movements.
Presale Estimate:
12,000/16,000
Realized Price:
$9,500