Very rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automaton

 

A very rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automaton,
 
French
 
circa 1840
 
Pre-'Golden Age'
 
Very early fly-wheel drive
 
Black Magic...
 
When wound and the governor rod freed by turning start/stop screw, the magician springs to life by first showing the dice on the centre of the waist tray in front of him, he then covers this dice with a golden cup held in his right hand, pauses for a second or two, before lifting the cup to show the dice has completely disappeared.  He then turns his left wrist to the audience and in his open palm, the dice is revealed, his hand turns to hide the dice and, by the power of magic, the golden cup is lifted once more by his right hand to complete the trick as the dice returns to the starting position on the tray once more, whilst all the time, his head turns from side to side to survey the audience reaction as the trick unfolds.
 
The movement is the very early type flywheel within four-pillars, driving at very high ratio with plenty of power the four cam stack to allow the cord linkages for head turn, left wrist turn, cup hand lift and fall and the dice tray flap to rotate on-cue, beautifully synchronised with one another to achieve the perfect illusion, start/stop screw feeds the governor stop rod for instant stop and start once spring is wound ready.   
Made of solid carved wood, painted and finished to fingers and more detailed areas in light gesso match-painted, sculpted and realistically modelled.  The boots are same-moulding for the full length of the legs, with folder-over detail pic ked out in the gold finish.
The dress is mostly original with some areas featuring well-chosen alternatives but cut from the original clothes which would have been used as the patterns.  The headdress is the traditional cushion-panel rondo, with each segment finished with duo-tone banding and top central ostrich feather, rope motif necklace and the body clothes with high-collar pleated red silk jacket, complimenting tone long sleeves, gold and black-run braid and finished with medallion with central seven green stone boss, fret braid to waist above breeches, wearing single red stone earrings.
 
On the shaped octagonal ebonised base containing full cam apparatus and movement, with moulded edge and plinth profiled base, start/stop screw and winding spindle to rear, raised on four ebonised block feet.
 
size - 34in. high, the base width 17in., the depth 16in. - (86.5 x 43 x 40.5cm)
 
Point of interest -
 
This French automaton is one of the earliest magician examples to ever appear on the international market. 
Likely to have been made in a low-brow regional location away from the bustling cities of Paris or Lyon, the maker has spent a great amount of time working out the most efficient and reliable design for movement actuations and timings.
 
To start with, the whole construction methods used in the figure's form is very different from the examples known and much loved by the likes of Vichy, Phalibois or R & D.  The 'Golden Age' did not really take off until later in the 19th century, where automata was becoming widely known, seen and understood by the public audiences.
The movement is very primitive for the many operations it completes.  A pin-held four-pillar fly-wheel governed drive runs the completely separate cam stack, with the twine linkages running through the body within lead and other metal housings.  And the head, torso and legs of solid wood was used, before the easier method of hollow papier-mâché by the Paris-based makers.
 
So we have here a very rare and formidable glimpse into the world which runs squarely between that of post-18th century Royal and exceptional exhibition-grade automata and pieces which were made from the late 19th century by the various world-famous Paris workshops. 
It is without doubt a highly important period in the world of automata - the influence put upon the maker of this blackamoor magician who would have witnessed the works from the likes of Jacques Droz, but most certainly whose work here would have been seen by those who went on to flourish later with many beautifully crafted and refined naturalistic and fantastical pieces, for which we have examples to show.
 
Good magic is the art of illusion executed seamlessly.  A human doing it is hard enough, but an automaton performing it is quite a different matter.  It becomes real magic.
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Very rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automaton
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Very rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automatonVery rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automatonVery rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automatonVery rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automatonVery rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automatonVery rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automatonVery rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automatonVery rare and early antique standing Blackamoor dice magician automaton
 
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