FRENCH WOODEN ARTIST MANNEQUIN WITH FULLY MOVABLE JOINTS Late 19th century Item measures 21.75 inches high (55 cm) tall, and comes with stand.
 
All-wooden mannequin with natural finish has intricate articulations including visible ball-jointing at throat, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles, and with unusually shaped head, fin-shaped hands, and shoe-form shaped feet; Antique French artist's poseable articulated mannequin doll.
Dating from the mid to end 1800's, and in need of some oiling, this piece is in good vintage condition. Used as an artist’s model. Ball joint articulation in great working motion. Heavily reproduced in modern times, this figure is a period original. A little History: Essentially these three-dimensional models act as an artist’s aide-mémoire for two-dimensional work.
 
They are found in all sizes from a few inches high up to life size. Representing the ideal proportions of the human body the majority are carved from pine, and from the 17th century are made with pivoted ball joints allowing for a natural bending and turning.
 
The faces are always expressionless and the androgynous features of the head enable it to be dressed convincingly as either man or woman. Lay figures have been used by artists for centuries and most probably originated in ancient Greece where they assisted sculptors in the posing of bare limbs. However, Vasari maintains the Italian Renaissance artist Fra Bartolommeo (1472 – 1517) was the first person to devise a wooden life size, fully articulated lay figure. (cited Wikipedia)