AUTOMATA
There are two branches of automata: Moving figures accompanied by music and bird boxes and cages that contain animated birds that chirp.
Automated figures go far back into antiquity; even the priests in ancient Egypt would hide behind figures and operate levers to terrify the common folks. The golden age of automata is generally considered to be from about 1840-1914 and the industry was centered in Paris, France. By 1840 there were 114 toy makers in Paris and in 1864, the first reference to the incorporation of musical boxes into toys was noted.
Automata were products of children’s imagination, but as they might be remembered by adults. They were clearly too sophisticated and expensive to be given to children. They were made for the wealthy customer who, while desiring to give an expensive present to a mother, finds it convenient to use her child as a pretext.
Roullet & Decamps, considered one of the top half-dozen master automaton makers, made the three moving-figure automata in our collection. Jean Roullet founded the firm in 1867. His daughter married his shop foreman, Ernest Decamps, in 1879 but they did not begin their partnership until 1889 when Roullet was 60 years old.
The French were also dominant in the market for singing birdcages. These gilt cages generally contained from one to four birds on branches that moved their heads, wings, beaks, and/or tails while chirping away. Some cages contained even more birds. Generally, the more birds a cage contains, the rarer it is. The feathers and beaks on the birds were real and a whistle controlled by cams made the chirping song.
Another class of automata, appearing in the middle of the 18th century, was the bird-box. These boxes were rather small and, when operated, a bird pops up with movement of the head, beak, wings, etc. It sings its song and then disappears back in the box. The mechanisms are exceedingly complex.
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La Ballerine: This Roullet-Decamps automata features a ballerina that twirls around while bending its body and moving its leg in a circle. A small cylinder box provides the music. The mechanism is intricate in that parts of the body move while the entire figure spins around over and over again. We purchased the piece at an auction in Chartres France in December 1997. The clothing is very old but probably not original. The piece was made sometime around the turn of the century. |
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Clown Equilibriste: This piece, made by Roullet Decamps, always amazes our guests. The clown sways back and forth and then does a handstand on top of the posts. Finally, he lifts one hand and is thus balanced on only one hand. He then goes back to his resting position. A small cylinder box provides music. The clothing is original and the piece was made around the turn of the century. It was purchased at auction in Chartres France in December 1997. |
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Clown dressant son chien: This piece, also by Decamps is one of our favorites and always brings smiles and laughter to our guests. While the cylinder box plays music, the clown cracks his whip and the dog jumps back and forth across the hedge. Again, the piece is turn of the century and was purchased in Chartres France in December 1997. |
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Bruguier Bird Box: A Swiss, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, made the first bird box in 1752. It was such a success that he was summoned by the King of Spain to create automata. Another early and famous maker of bird boxes was Charles Bruguier who was born in 1750. His son carried on the business until 1886. The box has beautiful enamel paintings both on top as well as under the lid and the bird has exceptional movement including its beak, head, wings and body. It is covered with real hummingbird feathers. The box is probably ca 1840 but it might be considerably older. FOR SALE |
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Blue Box with Red Bird: A German, Greasebaum, probably made this box in about 1930. It is a very pretty cobalt blue and the replacement bird is red. The bird is very energetic and sings a strong song. |
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Ornate Bird Box in Jeweled Case: This box is also probably by Greasebaum ca 1930 and is in a very fancy, ornate case. The back of the case contains a compartment for snuff or whatever. Underneath the case, a drawer contains the key. This bird has a real personality. It sometimes chirps fast and sometimes slow. If it has a good audience it will keep on chirping and refuse to go back in its box. |
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Bird Cage: This cage houses three birds and thus is relatively rare; the most common is the single bird cage. The birds have real feathers and beaks and sing a bright song. They move their heads, beaks and tails. They alternate moving and pause in between songs. |
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