A rare walking buff-hide elephant automaton, by Roullet & Decamps,

French

Circa 1900

R & D company catalogue number 56

A wonder of Asia brought to life in Paris

When wound and start/stop actuated from lever to underside, the natural hide finished elephant moves briskly forward as his trunk sweeps up and down majestically, with the natural buff toned hide with additional highlighted black detail, close-grain bone tusks of good proportions, brown glass eyes, toe details to each hoof, his tail between legs, on the R & D patented spur wheels for the ratchet-grip action, period key to the side winding spindle, start/stop to underside.

size - 12in. trunk to tail when trunk elevated, 7in. toe to head, (30.5 x 17.8cm)

Point of interest -

How nice to be in a position to compare two elephant walking automatons in one place, until we sell one of them at any rate.

This model with the natural buff hide finish for the skin is very much the standard finish seen for most R & D animal automatons, however with the elephant there has to be another feature to make it special.  And there is, with this land monster affording the viewer an affectionate wave with his trunk in smooth R & D style.  A pleasure to see yet another example of the wild, in perfect miniature.