The Snake Charmer (Charmeuse de Serpent) is an ultra-rare 19th-century mechanical automaton created in Paris by the famed maker Roullet & Decamps.
Design and Specifications
- Maker History: Founded by Jean Roullet in 1866, the firm partnered with mechanical engineer Ernest Decamps in 1879 and became renowned for lifelike automata after the 1889 Paris Exposition.
- Rarity: Fewer than 15 examples are known to exist worldwide.
- Figure Details: Stands roughly 33.5 to 39 inches tall, featuring an amber-brown paper-mâché or gesso-composition face, brown glass eyes, a dark human-hair wig, and an ornate metallic gilt and faux-emerald costume.
- Mechanics: Features 6 distinct animations and plays 4 musical tunes via a clockwork mechanism.
- Movements:
- The head weaves in a sensuous circular motion.
- The right arm pivots a trumpet to the mouth.
- The left arm animates and lifts/lowers the head of the snake.
- The chest/bosom rises and falls to simulate breathing.
- Cultural Context & Value: Built to entertain adults at 1890s Parisian dinner parties rather than as children's toys, these pieces have achieved auction sales and valuations ranging from $51,000 to over $140,000 (such as documented sales through Theriaults and features on Antiques Roadshow).
