![]() One cannot be sure whether he was more of a middleman, salesman and showman, or an inventor/creator of automats in his own right. Henry Maillardet is a well-known but rather misty figure in the world of automata in comparison with his more famous associates: James Cox, Pierre and Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz and Jean-Frédéric Leschot. ![]() When Maillardet and his partner Philipstal exhibited their automata in London in 1811, a note on the handbill explained that the mouse ‘will surprise the visitor by its natural cleverness and its ability to run and turn in all directions like a live animal’ just like the present mouse.Īlthough Henri Maillardet and his showman partners exhibited the small animals, and members of his family also exhibited similar automata throughout Europe in the first part of the 19th century, it is still not certain who exactly was responsible for their inception and construction. Its actions appear nearer to Maillardet’s original mouse than the Sandoz mouse, for example, or that fomerly in the Ikle collection described by Chapuis, which only travel in one direction before stopping, sitting up and nodding their heads. The present mouse with its white enamelled fur is a true Siberian mouse, whose grey fur was believed to turn white in winter to make it invisible in the snow. All are set with graduated pearls but are enamelled in a variety of colours including pale blue, dark blue and dark grey. The current example which is known to have been in the hands of the present owner’s family for the last two generations at least, is not previously documented. Durham, the Sandoz collection, now at Le Locle, Sir David Salomons collection, Jerusalem, and the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva. Only eight or nine automaton mice are known to have survived and are now or were formerly owned by a number of important collections including the Bowes Museum, Co. At that date it was considered an old-fashioned object and was purchased by Garrards for 24 guineas, which is roughly equivalent to half the current low estimate. An example offered on the second day’s sale of Thomas Weeks’s Mechanical Museum in Tichborne Street, London, on 15 July 1834, following the death of its nonagenarian proprietor, was rather more succinctly described as: ‘An animated mouse, executed of gold and Oriental pearls, which runs about the table and feeds itself’. There is no doubt that the creator had plenty of experience in watching live mice. Of life size, this mouse darts forward, twirls nervously fearing a concealed cat, then scampers in a different direction before, reassured, it pauses to nibble at an invisible morsel and sets off once again. The ‘Siberian Mouse’ is perhaps the most active and realistic in action of the small animal automata exhibited by Henri Maillardet in England and Ireland in the early 19th century. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE." Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. "In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Markings on movement: 72 stamped 61579 stamped on inside of lower plate RC in script scratched in one corner of inside of lower plate with: 27-2 over 18 72 over RTC in script Otherwise the mouse is in excellent condition with crisp chasing, original pearls and largely undamaged enamel. The movement has been restored with some elements replaced and is currently functioning although Sotheby's does not guarantee its continued working. One small pearl and some exterior screws have been replaced. As mentioned above the left ear and bristle whiskers have been replaced and the key is modern.
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