$47,000
Roullet et Decamps Automaton of the Dancer Loie Fuller, with bisque socket head impressed 2 , closed mouth, fixed brown feathered eyes, pierced ears, chestnut hair wig, bisque shoulder plate and forearms, dancing on the tip of a papier-mâché moon with articulated eye and darting tongue, the going-barrel movement playing two waltzes (on one revolution) and causing Loie to pirouette on her right leg, balancing with her left, bending at the waist and turning her head, while the moon rolls his eye and sticks out his tongue, sometimes to her face and sometimes behind her back, in pale pink silk costume decorated with flowers and glass beads, lace underskirt and Eau de Nil satin slippers, ht. 24 in., (professionally restored overall). Note: Inspired by the American dancer Marie Louise (Loie) Fuller, this piece was a combination of the fin de siecle interest in dance, movement and the moon that particularly attracted French automata makers. The three major late 19th century Parisian makers, Gustave and Henri Vichy, Roullet et Decamps, and Leopold Lambert, all produced their own versions of the moon theme, and all three also pursued their own interpretation of the graceful dancer. Born in the Chicago suburb of Fullersburg, Illinois, in 1862, Loie began her career as a child actress and later choreographed and performed her own dances in burlesque and circus shows. She was well-known in Europe for her floating silk costumes and dramatic theatrical lighting techniques, particularly in
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2006-07-29
