?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 7,000 - $ 10,000
DESIGNER UNKNOWN
THE MASCOT MOTH / MASKELYNE & DEVANT'S MYSTERIES. Circa 1905.
87x40 inches, 221x101½ cm. Stafford & Co., Netherfield. Condition B+: expertly-replaced and overpainted losses and repaired tears in margins and image and along vertical and horizontal folds. Three-sheets.
"Mascot Moth (La Phalene Mascot or The butterfly woman) (1905). Stretching out his arms, the magician gradually made a large butterfly with the head of a woman appear in space, which seemed to be attracted by the glow of the candlestick he presented to it. Just as the flame was about to consume her multicolored wings, the butterfly woman folded them over her face and the apparition vanished in a flash. This spectacular and extremely complex effect was presented for the first performances of Maskelyne and Devant at St. George's Hall. The Butterfly Woman was reprised by Doug Henning in his show Merlin (1983) with the help of Jim Steinmeyer" (https://artefake.fr/david-devant/). Rare.
