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A silver swan lowers its head to catch a fish. A doll dips a pen in ink. A bird small enough to hide in a box opens its beak to sing. These photographs show the historic figures, clocks, and music boxes built to make movement look lifelike, with captions that explain what each mechanism was designed to do.

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Images19

1
The Silver Swan
The Silver Swan: A silver swan bends its long neck toward fish that appear to swim between glass rods. The Bowes Museum’s…
2
The Peacock Clock
The Peacock Clock: Look past the peacock’s tail to find a rooster and an owl among the gilded branches. The clockwork puts…
3
The Writer
The Writer: The goose quill is real, and so is the writing. Pierre Jaquet-Droz began making this figure in 1768. Its…
4
Charles Bruguier’s Singing Bird Box
Charles Bruguier’s Singing Bird Box: The tiny green bird rises from the lid of an engraved silver-gilt box. The Genevan…
5
Tipu’s Tiger
Tipu’s Tiger: Turning the handle on this painted wooden tiger works a concealed organ and raises and lowers the arm of the…
6
Maillardet’s Draughtsman-Writer
Maillardet’s Draughtsman-Writer: At Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, you can see the writing figure above the brass…
7
The Draughtsman
The Draughtsman: The sheet stays put while this figure moves its pencil. Made by Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz with Jean-Frédéric…
8
The Musician
The Musician: The close-up shows the fingers that press the keys of a working 48-pipe organ. Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz’s…
9
The Dulcimer Player
The Dulcimer Player: Small hammers in the figure’s hands strike the strings stretched across the instrument in front of…
10
The Medieval Strasbourg Rooster
The Medieval Strasbourg Rooster: The painted iron feathers cover a wooden body. This rooster stood on Strasbourg…
11
The Clockwork Friar
The Clockwork Friar: The carved wooden head has moving eyes and a hinged jaw. Wound with a key, this 16th-century friar…
12
The Mechanical Galleon
The Mechanical Galleon: Clockwork animated the figures on this gilded ship while it played music and moved across a banquet…
13
Diana and the Stag
Diana and the Stag: The stag’s hollow silver body held wine, and its head could be lifted off to open the vessel. Joachim…
14
The Tea-Serving Karakuri Doll
The Tea-Serving Karakuri Doll: A guest could take a real cup of tea from this Edo-period doll. Hidden wheels drove it…
15
The Strasbourg Astronomical Clock
The Strasbourg Astronomical Clock: Two sets of figures occupy the tiers above the main dial. On one level, four figures…
16
The Madonna and Child Clock
The Madonna and Child Clock: The Madonna’s crown is the clock dial. Her scepter points to the hour, making the sculpture…
17
The Clockwork Trumpeter
The Clockwork Trumpeter: The full-size figure blows its trumpet and moves its fingers over the instrument. Friedrich…
18
James Cox’s Chariot Clock
James Cox’s Chariot Clock: A figure pushes a jeweled chariot with a small enamel clock dial. This 1766 piece from James…
19
The Diamond Trellis Elephant
The Diamond Trellis Elephant: A jeweled castle rides on this tiny ivory elephant’s back. The animal walks on ratcheted…

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