VICHY
music doll machine by the company Gustav Vichy, Paris, around 1880, "Der Dreh-Orgelspieler" with 2 melodies, with this original equipment ! are only few original copies known world-wide, height with hat: 63 cm, according to experts The bisque portrait machine head was especially by BRU produced for this Vichy machine and is therefore extremely rare to find. A man with opened/closed mouth, painted teeth, modelled moustach, expression lines, brown paperweight eyes, eye shadow, and feathered brows. The porcelain head has a unremarkable, minimal hairline crack from the left ear to the eye. The wig was not removed. He is standing behind a custom-made barrel organ that is made of precious wood species and has pillars that are decorated with gold leaves and a red/golden silk lining . He is still wearing his original silk clothes with raspberry-colored tailcoat with brass knobs, blue waistcoat, lace jabot and with the suitable cusp cap. The clockwork and the rolling mechanism, that can play 2 melodies and makes the motions, are hidden in the case . After the manual winding with the key and after pulling the stop knob the doll is turning the crank with the right metal hand, is looking to the right and to the left and is nodding, the dancing couple is turning in the meantime . references : Christian Bailly, "Automata, The Golden Age", page 85