American automaton from the first quarter of the 20th century.

American automaton from the first quarter of the 20th century.
"American Dandy smoking cigars".
Paper mache face and hands.
Original costumes.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use, some flaws and dirt. It needs to be reworked, it is not in use.
Measurements: 180 x 65 x 60 cm (figure); 210 x 96 x 88 cm (urn).

Life-size automaton doll representing an American dandy smoking a cigar. The gentleman wears a fashionable suit of the time consisting of an impeccable blazer, a pair of pants and a white shirt with cuffs and buttoned front. His luxurious attire is completed with a white handkerchief that protrudes from the pocket of the jacket, a burgundy bow tied around his neck and a top hat. Special mention should be made of the features of his face that reflect a gesture of surprise or admiration: his large blue eyes open in all their splendor while a soft smile is sketched. The expression of his face leads to noticeably marked furrows and wrinkles in his skin.

The automaton dolls are mechanical figures that imitate the life of the time, sometimes in a parody tone. They have complex movements that allow them to do different things once they are wound up, such as dance, play musical instruments or even smoke. These were not toys intended for children, but were collector's items treasured by an adult audience. Their movement was achieved thanks to a winding mechanism that moved the heads, hands and legs hidden between the dresses, and connected to a musical device of one or several cylinders. In contrast to the sophistication of the faces and hands of the automatons (made by companies specialized in biscuit material, being Jumeau the one that made the highest quality heads, although other French and German brands, such as Simon & Halbig, also worked for the manufacturers of automatons), the bodies hidden by the dresses were crude. As a curiosity it is worth mentioning that the dresses were generally made by relatives of the owners of the companies themselves (as in the case of Marie Thérèse Burger, wife of Gustave Vichy, who in many cases was in charge of making the costumes herself).