Dancer Automatons come in many forms such as people or animals. In addition they can form part of another piece such as an automaton theater etc.
Below are some examples and price guides of antique dancer automations including a coin-activated cabaret dancer and a French bisque dancer with a tambourine.
Rare Coin-Activated Musical Cabaret Dancer Automaton by Edouard-Henry Phalibois, c. 1900
Depicting a young woman dancing on a stage, the figure with original paint, brown glass eyes with articulated lids, shapely papier-mache torso and legs, articulated at shoulders, waist, hips and knees, with large brass going-barrel movement with four-winged governor, two-air cylinder movement and five boxwood cams with steel runners causing the figure to bend from the waist, raise her arms in unison and each leg alternately, ht. 29 ½ in. (75 cm), figure 23 ¼ in. (59 cm), with winding ratchet, unrestored partially working condition, coin-trip mechanism partially extant, coin-slot present but disconnected, missing base and case
Sold for €2,500 at Auction Team Breker in 2022
1900, SWISS: A very nice original coin operated railway station box with 42cm (16 – 1/2″) cylinder playing eight tunes. Four dancers and a mechanical cobbler picture mounted in the back. The cobbler three-dimensional picture is not believed to be original to the station box, but is connected with linkage to the music box and operates as the music plays and the dancers dance.
Sold for US$6,500 at Dan Morphy Auctions in 2022
FRENCH BISQUE AUTOMATON “DANCER WITH TAMBOURINE” BY VICHY. 17”. Marks: 1300 – 3 Dep, S & H. Upon a tall velvet covered wooden base is a bisque-head doll having blue stationary glass eyes, painted lashes, feathered brows, open mouth, accented lips, upper teeth, pierced ears, blonde mohair wig, carton torso with wire upper arms, bisque forearms and hands, wearing red silk and velvet fitted costume with lace bodice and ivory silk sleeves, red silk slippers; holds a bell-decorated tambourine in her right hand, and wooden stick with tassel; as the music plays she nods her head from side to side as her right hand twists back and forth at the wrist to shake the tambourine.
Sold for US$1,800 at Frasher’s Doll Auction in 2022
Attributed to Roullet & Decamps, France, a late 19th century “Turkish Dancer” automaton, with bisque head, shoulder plate and arms, the head signed “Depose Tete Jumeau”, and with pierced ears, blue glass eyes, blond hair, and closed mouth, the figure dressed in colorful costume and shaking a tambourine held in her left hand, her right arm moving up and down from the shoulder, and rocking her head left and right while a tune plays, all on a burgundy velvet covered base with turned feet, containing the clockwork movement and single air music box
Sold for US$2,600 at Schmitt Horan & Co. in 2022
Rare Antique German Automaton Kestner #146 Doll in Working Condition! Fantastic antique doll automaton, twirls and dances. She measures approximatelty 51 inches tall. Marked Made in Germany N 146 on the back of the neck.
Sold for US$1,800 at Brimfield Antique Shows & Auctions in 2022
