Antique wall-mounted automaton by the French maker Tharin

This wall-mounted automaton by the French maker Tharin is currently for sale on eBay. The automaton figures are hand-painted paper and depict a nineteenth century lady and gentleman at a well.

It's hard to tell from the photo shown here, but the well emits a stream of "water" which is really a rod of glass that has been twisted into a spiral shape. When set it motion, it creates a it creates a convincing effect. The eBay listing has a close up shot of this often-used mechanical illusion.

From the eBay description:

The music box plays two tunes while the automaton picture has 6 moving parts. The ladies head moves up and down, the gentleman's head and hand move, the dog and horses head move up and down to drink water. There is also a special piece in the center, a turning glass cane that makes the simulation of water. All the mechanical parts are intact and original. The music box plays for half a minute.

I am always amazed at how delicate and spidery the works are for these old wall-mounted paper automata. Somehow that assemblage of tangled wires and thin strings continue to run after 100 (and sometimes 200 or 300) years. The eBay listing has some wonderful shots of the mechanism as seen from the back.

The automaton has an integrated music box which plays two tunes. These are changed by pulling on a dedicated string. The piece measures 15 1/2" x 18 3/4" inches.

Here is where you can see this Antique wall-mounted automaton by the French maker Tharin.

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Automata exhibition at San Francisco airport

The video shown below accompanies an new exhibition of antique automata that opened at the International Terminal of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in November of 2011. Most of the nineteen automata on display were loaned from the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection at the Morris Museum located in Morristown, New Jersey.

From the SFO Museum web site:

This exhibition of automata and mechanical tableaux offers a broad range of automaton production from the second half of the nineteenth century, and includes a late twentieth-century creation using nineteenth-century parts and production methods. Most are set in motion by a mechanical spring motor and possess a music box. The best makers of the era are represented: Lambert, Phalibois, Tharin, Renou, Roullet & Decamps, and Vichy.

The exhibit is situated right where travelers get on and off the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system and is open to ALL visitors, ticketed or non-ticketed. If you are in the San Francisco area, you'll want to go check this out!

Here is a link to more information on the automata exhibit at SFO from the SFO Museum web site.

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Classic Automata from Skinner Auction, July 2006

Take a look at this generous video clip of a variety of classic automata by many of the famous French automaton makers.

I especially like the Monkey Duet tableau and the fact you get to see the workings of the piece.

You can learn more about many of the makers of these automata from Christian Bailly's book: Automata: The Golden Age.