The Headless Clown - magic automaton by Pierre Mayer

I had the great privilege to be among the very first people to see the new automaton created by Pierre Mayer. Pierre Mayer is known for his wooden automata which perform magical illusions.

The piece is a marvelous interpretation of a classic magic automaton made by the famous maker Phalibois. The scene starts with clown a holding a fan. The clown slowly raises the fan in front of his face. There is a pause and when the fan is pulled away, the clown's head has disappeared! The surprises aren't over yet, however. There is a pair over-sized dice to the left of the clown. The top of one starts to rise, and the clown's head mysteriously emerges from within. The entire sequence then reverses, ending with the clown's head restored to its proper place.

I was told by the artist himself that the clown's colorful costume was inspired by the lavish ones used by Cirque du Soleil in their performances. As with all Pierre Mayer's work, The Headless Clown is beautifully made.

Now in production, The Headless Clown and other magical automata may be found on Pierre Mayer's web site.

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