Folk Art & Automata - a rare early 20th century swimming aut...

Estimate

£700 - £1,000

Folk Art & Automata - a rare early 20th century swimming automaton toy, in the form of a Porpoise, attributed to Elie Martin (France), the wooden and brass construction with painted detail, clear glass eyes, fitted with a clockwork mechanism to the underside, 39cm long with key, stored in a rectangular shaped pine Champagne crate/box, stamped 'BRUT 106' and remnants of paper label written in French

For a similar example see Remise and Fondin, L'age d'or des jouets, page 112.