(BAKER JOSEPHINE) Wooden polychromed automaton in the shape

Sale 1961 - Lot 112

Unsold

Estimate: $ 10,000 - $ 15,000

WIND-UP, MUSICAL JOSEPHINE IN WORKING ORDER (BAKER, JOSEPHINE.) Wooden polychromed automaton in the shape of Josephine Baker, painted brown with typical Josephine hairdo in black, with feathers across her breasts and pelvis, and a matching colored headress; 21inches high; minor surface crack above left ankle. [Paris], circa 1927

Set Alert for Similar Items

Additional Details

A remarkable wind-up figurine in working order showing "la Josephine" at the height of her fame in her classic feathered outfit at the Folies Bergere. When wound, the music box plays "La Petite Tonkinoise" and the feathers rotate.
This doll appeared in "The Blues Aesthetic" exhibit sponsored by the Washington Project for the Arts in Washington, D. C. in 1989. A full-page photo appears in the catalogue on page 45.