German Musical Clown and Donkey Mechanical Automaton. Germany: Zinner & Sohne, ca. 1880s. Hand-cranked automaton depicting a clown, with hand-painted bisque face and glass eyes and a fleece-covered donkey standing beside a post with a bird perched atop. As the crank is turned, the clown rotates the donkey’s tail, and both the donkey head and bird nod forward and backward. 14 ½ x 13 ½ x 7 ¼”. Clown’s costume torn and deteriorated, in need of repair. Provenance: Ken Klosterman’s Salon de Magie.