The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Art Object

David Roentgen's Automaton of Queen Marie Antoinette, The Dulcimer Player (La Joueuse de Tympanon)

Watch this surprising video of an automaton play the dulcimer.

David Roentgen (1743–1807) took his royal patron by surprise when he delivered this beautiful automaton to King Louis XVI for his queen, Marie Antoinette, in 1784. The cabinetry for this piece is very much a neoclassical masterwork, and the mechanism behind it is truly extraordinary: the figure strikes the strings in perfect rhythm with two small metal hammers held in her hands, which move with great precision.

This object, from the Musée des arts et métiers de Paris, is featured in the exhibition Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens (on view October 30, 2012–January 27, 2013).

See the full video: http://www.cerimes.fr/le-catalogue/la-joueuse-de-tympanon.html

Footage courtesy of CERIMES.

David Roentgen: Long-Case Clock
(00:00:52)

The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet
(00:02:20) 10652 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Demonstration
(00:02:17) 16792 views

Rolltop Desk by David Roentgen: Animation
(00:01:00) 3020 views

Teapot

Samuel Margas Jr. (British, active 1714–33)

Date:: 1716–17
Culture:: British, London
Medium:: Silver, wood, ivory
Dimensions:: H. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
Classification:: Metalwork
Credit Line:: Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1968
Accession Number:: 68.141.211

This artwork is not on display

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Marking: [1] Lion's head erased; [2] Britannia; [3] Roman A, (partial strike, legible) London date letter for 1716-17; [4] MA, crowned, fleur-de-lis below, (partial strike, legible) maker's mark for Samuel Margas Location of marks: [1]-[4] on underside of base, inside footring; [1] on underside of cover
Provenance

[ S. J. Phillips ; to Irwin Untermyer, June 26, 1963 ] ; Irwin Untermyer (1963–68; to MMA)
See also
Who
Samuel Margas Jr. (3)
What
Metal (59,364)

Metalwork (14,716)

Silver (14,056)

Wood (7,651)

Bone (6,328)

Ivory (5,389)

Teapots (652)
Where
Europe (148,586)

United Kingdom (25,557)

England (9,102)

London (2,006)
When
A.D. 1600-1800 (66,179)
In the Museum
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts (43,257)
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Great Britain and Ireland, 1600–1800 A.D.
MetPublications
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David Roentgen's Automaton of Queen Marie Antoinette, The Dulcimer Player (La Joueuse de Tympanon)

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Samuel Margas Jr. (British, active 1714–33)

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David Roentgen's Automaton of Queen Marie Antoinette, The Dulcimer Player (La Joueuse de Tympanon)

Related Content

Teapot

Samuel Margas Jr. (British, active 1714–33)

Met Media

Met Kids

Met Store