Special Offers

S1318
A GOOD WHITE FACED CLOWN WITH MANDOLIN BY LAMBERT

An antique two air musical automaton made by Leopold Lambert of Paris, in the form of a white faced Pierrot playing a mandolin. As the music plays, he sways from side to side and moves his hand over the strings.

The winding key is pierced to form the initials "LB", which stand for Leopold Lambert himself, and also his wife, Eugenie Maria Bourgeois, whom he married in 1876, and who was a seamstress by trade. She was a very important part of the business, as she dressed the automata her husband created.

This automaton still has his original white silk trouser suit and hat. The coat and trousers are trimmed with lace, also pink silk ribbon and bobbles. He has a pink silk cummerbund, and pink socks, with white shoes. He stands on a square red plush covered base which contains the musical movement, and is 20 inches high.

The back of the porcelain head bears the impressed marks "TBJ", number"225", and place of manufacture, "Paris". The markings are part of the letters SFBJ, which stand for Societe Francaise de Fabrication de Bebes et Jouets, a company formed in 1899. "225" is a rare character mould.

The tunes played are "Valencia" & "on the Riviera".

There is a label on the base bearing the retailer’s name and address as follows, "Au Nain Bleu, G. Fauvet, Paris".

Price, inclusive £3,900

M2403
SUPERB, RARE AND IMPORTANT “AUTOGLOCKENPOLYPHON”

This amazing coin operated instrument has a wonderful tone, and is an outstandingly good example of the very rare and impressive autochange Polyphon Style 5K. There are 118 teeth in the music combs plus sixteen orchestra bells. The “K” stands for “klangplatten”, the German word for the bar type orchestra bells The rack at the bottom of the case holds ten music discs 221⁄2” (56cm) in diameter, which can be selected at will by moving a lever on the front of the instrument until a pointer indicates the name of the desired tune on one of the ten program cards displayed. The only other example of this model we have seen was given the name “autoglockenpolyphon” by its owner, the late Bruce Angrave, and was featured in the radio serial “The Archers”, being restored for The Bull public house by Walter Gabriel. The very attractive walnut case is complete with its original pediment. This instrument has been restored to perfection, and is currently performing at The World of Mechanical Music at a very reasonable asking price for such a rare and superb instrument.

Price £25,000

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