Neil Hardy, Blue elephant, a hand-operated automaton, wood, painted wood, plywood, wire, nylon,...

Neil Hardy, Blue elephant, a hand-operated automaton, wood, painted wood, plywood, wire, nylon, bearing label to underside Neil Hardy Fabulous Animals. These toys are not suitable for children., approx. 15.5cm high, 13.3cm wide, 4.6cm deep; together with two others by the same artist, comprising: Shy Tortoises, a hand-operated automaton, wood, painted wood or composition, wire, nylon, signed and dated Neil Hardy 98, approx. 12cm high, 15cm wide, 7.3cm deep; and Carnivorous Sheep, a hand-operated automaton, wood, painted wood, wool, wire, brass, signed and dated Neil Hardy 95, approx. 14cm high, 14.5cm wide, 7cm deep (3)

Sir Nicholas Goodison noted:

Blue Elephant: Elephants are not normally blue, but this one gets easily frightened. The simple movement raises the mouse above the surface, whereupon the elephant, with frightened eyes and well developed tusks, lifts his whole body (which is pulled up by an almost invisible nylon thread concealed behind the trunk) off the ground, standing on his trunk. The inscription reads The Rarely seen Blue Elephant defends itself from its arch enemy the mouse. This is one of Neil Hardys Fabulous Animals. Neil Hardy trained and worked as an architect until the early 1990s. Inspired by Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, he turned to automata making for family and friends, making a full-time job of it in 1992. He has made a theme of evolutionary, and of endangered species and conservation of the environment blunders in his Fabulous Animals series

Shy Tortoises: The two tortoises stick out their long necks as the single cam presses down the sprung wire that draws the heads together by increasing tension on nylon connecting threads. Then, when they touch each other, they spring back into their shells as cam trips the wire and releases the tension. The stick-on paper is inscribed The painfully shy Pink Tortoises slowly get to know each other better.

Carnivorous sheep: The sheepdog crouches, panting as he watches the docile sheep after a bit of active herding. Much to his surprise, the sheep turns out to have the head of a much more fearsome creature with sharp teeth, and the dog falls over backwards in astonishment and fear. The movement is a cam and lever mechanism. The inscription reads Though always keen and eager the sheepdog never really got the hang of herding carnivorous sheep.

Provenance:

Blue Elephant: Purchased, Frivoli, Chiswick, London, June 1993.

Shy Tortoises: Purchased, Hitchcocks, Bath, October 1998.

Carnivorous Sheep: Purchased, Neil Hardy, Wimbledon, London, at Crafts Fair, Chelsea.

Note: Neil Hardy worked as an architect for 13 years before becoming an automatist.His creations have been exhibited internationally, including in Japan, Australia, and Germany.His work is imbued with a sense of fun and whimsy, and he always uses animals to create amusing sculpture.

Roseberys do not guarantee the working order of any automata or toy.