Once wound up, this figure dusts a portrait of a man to the sound of
a musical box melody—until she throws up her arms up in shock when
she notices the man’s eyes and mouth moving!
This automaton is considerably smaller in size than most of
the period. Its maker, Louis Renou, appealed to a wide audience
by making automata like this that were smaller, less complex,
and therefore less expensive than those of his competitors.
This piece is one of only two examples of this model known
to survive today.
