c.1935 Les Aquatiques Poisson Fish In Original Box
Unusually heavy celluloid, mechanical NON-clockwork French made Poisson or fish. Produced under the Les Aquatiques series of "unbreakable mechanical swimming toys" by Animaux Mechaniques. Comes complete with original box and tissue paper packing. The coloration closely resembles a coi. Unlike the more commonly found Japanese celluloid toys it's much heavier and has a much thicker layer of celluloid. To give you some idea of how the thickness I've shown a close-up photo of the mouth. A metal bracket inside the fish connects a separate tail to the body. Turning the crank at the fishes mouth causes the tail to wave from side to side like a real fish. The crank handle is also celluloid. Originally a rubber band inside the fish connected the tail to the crank. You'd wind it up like an airplane. A metal catch near the mouth would prevent it from unwinding until it was placed in water. Once in water you'd release the crank by pulling it forward gently and it would move forward. The motion of the tail would make it appear that it was simming through water like a real fish. Everything still works but the rubber band has long since disintegrated inside the fish. Manual winding will still cause the tail to wave, but it can no longer be wound up. The box cover includes a simple print showing the poisson swimming through the water. It indicates that it's a mechanical toy, but "without clockwork". A clockwork toy would contain gears like a clock! The right end of the box cover was stamped POISSON. It's faded, but can still be read. The waxy tissue paper inside looks to be original. Size: 6½" Date Sold: Nov. 2009
Price Sold: $ 69
