Jim Edmiston, Balancing Octopus, painted wood and plywood, approx. 43cm high; together...

Jim Edmiston, Balancing Octopus, painted wood and plywood, approx. 43cm high; together with another similar by the same artist, Balancing Cat with Octopuses, approx. 40cm high; Fish, Sri Lanka, a hand-operated automaton, wood and painted wood, approx. 13cm high, 15.5cm wide; another hand-operated automaton, Simon Venus, In Its Nature, 2013, wood, painted carved wood, tinplate, wire, shoe brush base, signed and dated Simon Venus 2013, approx. 30.5cm high; and various wooden toys, including Rocking Cat, Swallowtail, Wales, painted wood and metal screws, approx. 17.8cm high (lot)

Sir Nicholas Goodison noted:

Balancing Octopus: The octopus balances on top of the column, kept steady by two smaller octopuses hanging on to his outer tentacles. He can rock and turn and doesnt look dangerous. Edmiston is a Scottish designer, working in Bath since 1982 in two and three dimensions, and has made many coloured plywood and seasoned pine designs for public exhibition and private collecting. He has taught design in schools and published several childrens books. His Noahs Ark is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Ian McKay worked for a time in his Bath workshop.

Fish: The fish is obviously a tropical fish and has bulbous eyes. He doesnt move much, no doubt lurking in a green shadow (hence his colouring) to avoid predators. Only his lower jaw moves craven by a single eccentrically mounted cam on the drive shaft which raises it and lowers it as if he is eating his own prey. The lower jaw is painted with teeth. And a pink tongue.

Rocking Cat: The head and tail are loosely fitted and move to left and right as the cat rocks. The cat has some of the markings of a tiger, reminding us that cats are never quite as domestic as we think.

In Its Nature: The crow sees its chance with its sharp eye and pecks the hand that winds the handle, as it were biting the hand that feeds his movement.

Provenance:

Balancing Octopus: Humla, St Christopher's Place, London, August 1997.

Balancing Cat with Octopuses: Purchased, Tom the Cat Place, Maida Vale, London, Dr Justin Braun, November 2000.

Fish: Purchased, Eric Snooks, Covent Garden, London; imported by Serendipity, Chester-le-Street, Durham, October 1992.

In Its Nature: Bought (Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, Unit 34, 95 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1BZ), October 2014.

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