This pair of whimsical mechanical pieces were made in England for export to India and China. To fit English perceptions of Asian aesthetics, a pagoda shape includes animals such as elephants and ostriches. When operating, the devices play one of six tunes, and ships and horseback riders parade through painted backdrops revolving behind glass panels in the base. The automatons or “sing-songs” were acquired by Doris Duke in Bangkok, Thailand, in the 1960s.
Pair of musical automatons by John Henry Cox
