Early Papier-mache Clown mechanical in shadowbox with provenance

Antiques : Mechanical Doll, European, Papier-mache

 

This early clown mechanical is made of papier-mache and wire armature. His head has a molded top hat and all original face paint. He has painted hair and teeth. He is of French or German origin and his provenance which is attached to the back of the shadowbox he comes in, gives his date as 1860s. He has one of what was likely a pair of cymbals and when squeezed in the middle he clangs the cymbal against his hand. His original costume is of flannel and braid. He is 15” tall and his shadowbox is 19.5 by 9.5”.

This early European doll would make an interesting addition to your collection and can be displayed with or without the shadowbox. The provenance reports that he was found with a Halloween doll in the drawer of an old dresser in the attic of a 100 year old farmhouse in Minnesota and rescued on the day that the house and its contents were burned to the ground. I found him in Arizona and carried him to Indianapolis. Clearly this well-traveled fellow was meant to survive for another century in the safety of your collection!

Item ID: JF-0908-A05