Description:
This famous automaton came from the collection of Olga, Marquise de St. Innocent, who was a glamorous woman of her time and good friend of Dali. A very eccentric lady with Russian origin, who travelled the world and lived in “La Budellera”, a restored castle in Spain on the edge of a pine forest. Dali was a regular visitor to Olga’s refuge and the automaton was a present to the Marquise. We will sell in a later auction her famous Bentley, which was specially painted in Chippendale style for her. She liked to shock and amuse her friends and this automaton was definitely the right gift by Dali to do justice to an incredible lady. Dali used a “monkey smoker automaton” by J. Phalibois from around 1880 and changed him into a piece of art. Fabulous conversation piece.(CH)

Dimensions: 50 cm high