We have had only two Philabois automatons in inventory during the past 40 years. BUT none as rare and as spectacular as the circa 1860 piece shown here. There are only three of these pieces known to have survived. One (in poor condition) from the famous Murtaugh Guinness collection is now in the famous Morris Museum of New York. It now costs $10 per adult to see this piece and others from the Guinness Collection,
The three monkeys perform as the organ plays your "favorite tune" from the 8 barrel tunes available. This piece measures over 3 feet high, 2 feet wide and about 2 feet deep. When placed on an appropriate stand, the performance is now at eye-level.
Movements include eyes, lips, heads, hands, arms, torsos etc. The center "magician" performs right hand and left hand tricks that will baffle you and make you "grin from ear-to-ear." The musicians provide the "music" as they move, and "play" as you crank. All three move their eyes and head very expressively. After the recent restoration, the organ performs at "full power", filling the playing areas with beautiful, fully arranged reed organ music.
This piece is EXTREMELY RARE. In the last 40 years of visiting most of the finest collections in the world, I have only seen two others like it. One in the Morris Museum and one in a well-known European museum.
Philabois French automata are very finely made as the picture shows. This piece deserves to be in only the finest automata collection making a fantastic extremely rare, focal piece. (Verified provenance is available with this piece.)
(*) Art Conservator in London , England (1985) and renowned certified former State Art Conservator in the USA, Richard Parker, Delaware.
This Item is #273 on the
"Availibility and Price List".
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September 14, 2006
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