Swiss, Height 780 mm, circa 1870

An important automaton with figures and marvellous playing musical movement that plays various arias by Verdi "The tightrope dancer"
Case: wood and gold painted hard plaster, textile, glass dome. Dial: enamel. Movm.: circular brass full plate movement, 2 barrels. Musical Movement: mechanism works on demand, large pin cylinder, governor, vibration blades. Automaton mechanism: on demand, drive via barrel and governor.

The scene sits on a richly carved oval base: four music-playing animated figures in costume are arranged under a tree; between them is a tightrope with a female artist with her balancing pole who moves body and head to the music. A grotto and a waterfall are implied in the background.