@alexcooperauctioneers on Instagram: "Automatons were the precurser to modern day robots. At the height of their popularity they were prized for their intricate and impressive engineering as well as their ability to mimic human or animal movements. Many of them have fell into the abyss of forgotten novelty but every now and then they pop up and capture the same kind of awe and joy they invoked many decades ago - much like this bird.⁠ ⁠ Featured lot: Lot 1474: A Karl Griesbaum Automaton Birdcage