Two pieces of Tin Automata; one a Schuco Clown, One An Unmarked Donkey
SOLD
Origin: German Period
Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1930
Clown:
Height: 12cms
Width: 4cms
Donkey:
Height: 12cms
Width: 6cms
Length: 12cms
The clown is dressed in full clown costume, with top hat, shoes, bow tie, grey checked shirt, and white collar. His face is painted white, red and black, and he has ginger fabric hair. When wound, he walks along, albeit a little drunkenly, and his tie revolves. His feet are stamped with the makers mark Schuco.The donkey has a brown fabric body and legs, a black fabric tail and mane, a beige fabric saddle, and black hooves. He has a over sized eye socket around a realistic inset glass eye. There is some beige fabric and eyelet missing from his nose. When wound he walks (or waddles) along, his eyes move, and his tail revolves. He is unmarked.
Possibly macabre, certainly uncanny, people with a fear of clowns should perhaps stay away. But for those that delight in such things, these two are perfect examples of the type. They have been played with, and show marks to that effect, but they are in good working order, and are sold with a key with which to wind them.
Schuco is a German company first established under the trading name of Schreyer and co. in 1912, which later became one of the most successful companies of the first half of the twentieth century.