A rare dining monkey electric window automaton, by the Fife Engineering Company,

Scottish

circa 1948

Chopped bananas for table eight...

When mains power connected, the monkey springs in to life, with head moving to the left, opening eyes and lifting spoon in right hand to mouth, the mouth then opens and closes quickly along with eyes opening and closing, finishing with the spoon returned to the plate on the table in front of him and the monkey attracting the waiter's attention by banging the knife in his left hand repeatedly on the table, then starting over from the beginning.

The monkey with heavy and detailed composition head and hands, with faux fur hair and further facial hair, dressed in patterned red and blue smoking jacket over cream collarless shirt and matching trousers, black shoes, the circular table with floral embroidery, on green damask covered base with gold tassel trim to top and matching trim to base, on ball feet, base containing dynamo motor drive and six action cam rod stack.

21in. high, 10.1/2in. wide, 12in. deep - (53.5 x 26.5 x 30.5cm)

Point of interest -

The Fife Engineering Company specialised in the making of advertising automatons following WW2.  Due to the extreme shortage of usable electrical parts and with good small electric motors being almost impossible to get hold of, Fife used military grade dynamos instead. 

Fife had a contract with Scott's Porridge Oats and they made several automatons to be placed n shop windows to get sales going.  This example does not display a product name, but it does have the rare feature of the monkey banging the table to get the attention of shoppers inside the store.

Having original clothes as well as action, this monkey is still to be found attracting good attention.