Gustave Vichy Cabrillon's palette Rare automaton with smoking mechanism and music. From a painting palette placed on an easel emerge two superimposed characters: one with sideburns and glasses, slightly bald head (the classic type of Mr. Pipelet from the vaudevilles) reads his newspaper while occasionally lifting his glasses with a nudge: the other with a pair of glasses. The other, a superb clown with a happy face (Cabrillon), waves his wig and from time to time, winking mockingly, taps his companion on the head with light taps. In addition, the lower head is fitted with a pipe. When it is lit, the tobacco is consumed, but it is the clown who smokes. Registered design G.V. Music with two tunes. With Vichy key. Very nice original condition. Very rare subject. Circa 1890. Height 70 cm. Ref : Bagatelle exhibition catalogue page 107, "L'Age d'Or des Automates" (1848-1914) by Christian Bailly, page 69. Facsimile of the catalogue page 265, the same model existed in the collection of Madame Juliette Gréco. The inspiration for the characters of Cabrillon and M. Pipelet undoubtedly came from Eugène Sue's Mystères de Paris, a very popular serial novel published in 1842-1843. As the "mise en scène" of the automaton indicates, the character of Cabrillon loved playing pranks on Mr Pipelet, much to the latter's despair. Here's an extract from Eugène Sue's novel: "Cabrillon always came forward slowly... holding me under his gaze like a snake holds a bird... He came very close to me... I couldn't stand it any longer... I closed my eyes... Then I feel him dare to put his hands on my hat; he takes it by the top, slowly removes it from the top of my head... and exposes my head! I began to feel dizzy... my breathing was suspended... my ears were ringing... I was more and more glued to my seat, I closed my eyes tighter and tighter. Then Cabrillon bent down, took my bald head... and placed a shameless, immodest kiss on my sweaty forehead". Provenance: Thomas Vroom collection