A very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave Vichy

 

A very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave Vichy,
 
French
 
circa 1890
 
Our Vichy musical spectacular
 
When wound and the start/stop pull actuated, the banjo player moving head from side-to-side before raising and lowering head whilst opening and closing his eyelids, merrily strumming the strings of the banjo with his right hand and keeping time by sweeping his right foot backwards and forwards, sitting on high stool, all accompanied by two musical airs.
The boy musician with very finely painted papier-mâché head with open mouth showing teeth, glass eyes, black wig and eye brows, painted arms, hands legs and feet also of papier-mâché and very exceptional details to fingernails and toenails, dressed in the country style with cap, mustard shirt, red dot scarf and short pale red trousers, perched at the edge of his high stool containing the movement with stained circular supports and stretchers, lovely green velvet covered sides and inserts, banjo of carved oak and with fruitwood bridge, skin soundboard, key and start/stop to rear.
 
size - 25in. high, 10in. deep (max), 6in. wide (stool), (63.5 x 25.5 x 15.2cm)
 
Point of interest -
 
Three things always sum up Vichy when one is lucky enough to locate one of his objects - rare, lifelike and usually within the collection of an automata connoisseur.
This outstanding piece captures perfectly the magic of Vichy and what his workshops were capable of.  The realistic look on the face, the complex actions clean and soft, the proportions modelled from life not fantasy. 
Originality is everything when it comes to high-end automata and here, the key and start/stop are Vichy and in place, the paintwork untouched, the movement operating all aspects wonderfully.  
 
Vichy made two versions of this automaton - the other with the boy perched on a side chair whose back-rail height was the same as the seat of this stool (see Automata - The Golden Age, by Christian Bailly, 1987, p. 104.)  This stool version is considered to be the better version, as no movement rods whatsoever are seen between movement and output. 
It is very nice indeed to see that the green velvet panels have stayed put from day one, adding that little piece of time through admired wear over the years.      
 
This is really one piece that should be enjoyed by the many...
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A very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave Vichy
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A very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave VichyA very rare and fine antique black boy banjo player musical automaton, by Gustave Vichy
 
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