Musical Automaton Portrait of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin by C

Inspired by an automaton by Gustave Vichy, with plaster-composition head depicting a young man with classical profile, sculpted hair and pensive gaze, gloved hands elegantly posed with cigarette-holder and playing cards, articulated head, arms and left knee, the torso containing crank-wind going-barrel movement that drives cams, two-air cylinder movement and bellows, in black velvet smoking jacket, figured waistcoat, open-collared silk shirt, pinstriped trousers and leather shoes, height 23 ½ in. (60 cm), with crank key and brass stop/start, excellent working condition. - Bailly portrays the 19th century Romantic playwright, poet and novelist reclining in a rocking chair during a game of cards. Pushkin rocks gently back and forth, raises the cards with an expansive flourish, lifts the cigarette-holder in his right, turns his head and leans back to exhale. - This pastime recalls the writer's early life and his passion for drinking and gambling. In his hand he holds three playing cards (the three, seven and queen of spades) for the fateful game of Faro in Pushkin's 1834 supernatural short story, "The Queen of Spades". - The sensitive modeling of the figure's facial features was based closely upon contemporary portraits while his relaxed pose, by chance or by design, is reminiscent of Valentin Serov's 1899 sketch "Alexander Pushkin on a Park Bench" in the State Museum of Alexander Pushkin, St. Petersburg. - A remarkable contemporary automaton.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)