Summary: Richly illustrated with etchings, manuscripts, and old documents, this book retraces the epic tale of the automaton from ancient times up to the present day. From the earliest civilizations, the necessity of measuring time was developed in order to organize social life. Since then, in the major European cities, automata have inhabited astronomical clocks that chime on the hour, punctuating the day. Wondrous objects that are at once scientific and magical, these clocks testify to the technical research and inventiveness of their designers. In 1675, the astronomer and mathematician Christian Huygens invented the spiral spring that would play a leading role in the development of smaller and more precise watches, with highly complex mechanisms. The creation of more complicated wheelwork and the use of extremely meticulous spiral springs gave free rein to clockmakers’ imaginations, who invented animated objects that fascinated philosophers and scientists alike. Doctors, thespians and thinkers of the modern world all saw these increasingly lifelike automata: wonderful simulacra of life. These articulated figurines were to inspire thought, science, literature, the performing arts and more. Continuing this tradition, the house of Van Cleef & Arpels has harnessed all of its designers’ talents to create an exceptional automaton: a fairy, whose movement celebrate the art of the inventors of past centuries. Immersed in its designer’s studio, the reader sees an automaton come to life. Automata is the most substantial survey of this popular topic currently available.

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