Elon Musk's Neuralink Gets $27 Million to Merge Humans and Machines

Elon Musk's Neuralink Gets $27 Million to Merge Humans and Machines



What did I tell you, folks!  Dr. Who was not that far off!!!

 Am I current, or what!! :)

The Power of Dolls, Effigies, and Statues

Lest anyone doubt the power of the human form, we have only to revisit the recent media coverage of controversial statutes and demands to remove them.

Statues from the King Tut Exhibit, 2016.  Courtesy, our son, Mitchell Milani

Dolls, like their statuary cousins, evoke emotion.  For some, those emotions are uncanny, as in the doll studied in The Uncanny Valley study.  Collecting dolls, making them, playing with them, evokes emotion.  For the poet Rilke, that emotion involved horror and distrust, but for others, dolls and effigies of the human form evoke delight.  Artists from the Ancient World to Leonardo to Henry Moore have loved the human figure and wanted to immortalize it in their art.

Courtesy, Dr. E's Doll Museum

Courtesy, Dr. E's Doll Museum

All politics and emotion aside, dolls have talismanic powers.  Max von Boehn in Dolls writes about image magic and ancestor worship. Certainly, the earliest dolls were objects of ritual and respect, and they were believe to have magic powers. Voodoo involves image magic, and voodoo dolls have existed for centuries.  Freud explored the power of dolls, automatons, and similar things in his famous essay,"The Uncanny", analyzed in an excellent essay by Professor Eva Marie Sims, "Uncanny Dolls."

Angel Statute, Public Domain Image

By the same token, more and more is being written about robots and their use in society.  Dark Net is a novel of suspense about an entire company that is overrun by its own Artificial Intelligence.  The AI forms a murderous cartel that hires assassins to do its bidding.  Other horror movies explore the evil potential of dolls, statues, and robots run amok.

Voodoo Doll, Public Domain

These artificial creations are not alive, yet they are.  They are not alive, yet not dead, and, they are made in our image, or can think as we do, or act as we do.   Robotics are the future in many disciplines, and statues represent their human models.  To disrespect the statue or harm it, is a type of image magic wherein the person is also disrespected or harmed, similar to burning in effigy.


Will these "dolls" take over the world--well, perhaps, to paraphrase the great poet Sylvia Plath who collected paper dolls, their foot's in the door.


Sylvia Plath, Public Domain Image

Eclipse

It's beginning!!

“I Only Wanted to Wonder” at Theriault’s Summer Auction Press Release, Courtesy Theriault’s

“I Only Wanted to Wonder” at Theriault’s Summer Auction Press Release, Courtesy Theriault’s

 

Annapolis, MD-August 7, 2017

 

The 250 year-old wooden doll named Nellie had reposed silently in an 18^th century chest that furnished one of the 50 rooms of the 500 year old Radford House in Plymstock, England. A regal 28” tall, her enamel eyes appeared to shine in wonder on August 1^st as she was presented to a roomful of eager bidders at Theriault’s annual mid-summer Marquis antique doll auction which is noted worldwide for offering the finest doll treasures.  Estimated at $26,000-42,000, Nellie soared to $108,300 with competitive bidding from private collectors as well as museums.

 

The doll had been in the private collection of an important British collector, who also consigned to the auction a remarkable French poupée by Adelaide Huret. Presented with an extensive original trousseau, the doe-eyed doll sold for $53,760 and will be highlighted in an important doll museum under construction in southern Virginia.

 

Early dolls of papier mache, wood, and wax are presently enjoying resurgence in the doll collecting word, and Theriault’s August 1 auction proved the point well. Especially notable was a beautiful English wax doll by Montanari, replete with detailed and poignant provenance ($12,000-16,000). There was an early papier mache lady with remarkable sculpted coiffure in the young Queen Victoria style and with rare blue glass yes; the elated winning bidder proclaimed, “I sat through 437 other dolls at the auction just to bid on her.  I first saw her in the home of Lorna Lieberman 25 years ago and have dreamt of her ever since.”  The bidder raised her paddle high and never took it down under she was declared the winter at $4900(pre-sale $1200-1500).  Other examples include a 19” German lady with “beehive” coiffure topping at $2500 (pre-sale $1100-1300), a 12” wax -over – papier mache child with  mechanical bellows at $3248 (pre-sale $800-1200), and a 22” French papier mache bride with original elaborate wig at $4032 (pre-sale $2200-2800).

 

Theriault’s auction also featured the important German collection of Petra Aichele who for several decades had sought rare German art character bisque dolls.  A most endearing painted dye boy by Bruno Schmidt wistfully walked away at $20, 160 (pre-sale $255-3500), Kammer and Reinhardt’s 112 model went to $19, 040(pre-sale $5007500), and her sister, the 109 model known as “Elise” reached $11, 200 (pre-sale $7500-9500).  The cover doll, model 1263, a mere wisp of a child at 12” was $9800 (pre-sale $4500-6500),  while a beautiful glass eyed character girl, model 149, by Hurtle and Schwab topped at $9520, (pre-sale $500-8500).

 

More than 500 rare and beautiful antique dolls were presented in the eight-hour auction, with cmpetitiv3e bidding from the attending bidders, absentee bidders, telephone bidders, and live online bidders. (Prices won reflect the buyer’s premium). Collectors cheered when an anxious friend won her sought after doll, plenty of laughter was here throughout the day (some at the traditional banter lines of Stuart Holbrook auctioneer and President of Theriault’s), and a spirit of good feelings pervaded the auction room.

To view all the of the doll in the auction visit www.theriault’s.com. The next scheduled Marquis catalog auction is in Scottsdale, Arizona on October 28-29 featuring important private collections.  To receive a free color brochure of the auction call Theriault’s at 410-224-3655 or visit www.theriaults.com.

 

Captions

 

Lot 17: Named “Nellie” by her original owner, the 28” wooden doll was notable for her size, beauty, remarkable state of preservation, costume, and provenance.  She sold for $108, 300.

 

Lot 21. The French poupées of Adelaide Huret continue in high demand.  This beautiful example, complete with e, 760 at Theriault’s marquis doll auction and will be featured an extensive trousseau, reached $53, 760 at Theriault’s Marquis doll auction and will be featured in an upcoming museum.

 

Lot 37: A mere 10”, the petite French bébé marked A.T. by Thuillier, reached $28,000(presale $800-$11,000) while here three little pups barked their way to $1400 (pre-sale $400-600) at Theriault’s August 1 auction.

Happy To Be Me Doll Takes on Barbie, August 15, 1991, and Thelma & Louise; the Two- headed Snake

Perhaps it was because he was also a ventriloquist, but the late Johnny Carson frequently alluded to dolls, puppets, and mannequins on The Tonight Show.  Tonight, from the August 15th show, he mentioned the Happy to be Me Doll, created with more realistic proportions to rival Barbie.   It didn't work.  I'm glad I was able to buy one at the time.


He also used miniatures and tiny doll clothes in a skit involving a parakeet that was in love with a bread roll. Corny, but cute.


Joan Embery came on with a two headed snake named Thelma& Louise.  Wow!  I confess I like snakes, and have snake dolls and stuffed animals.  One is called Ms. S. Snake, and wears a bikini.  Another has on a handknit skating outfit.


Recent favorite find:  A large Hummel figurine featuring a clown doll, and Effanbee's Dorothy wearing her ruby slippers.


What's in your doll case-------

Doll Museum: Recent Finds for the Museum!

Doll Museum: Recent Finds for the Museum!: Vintage Bye-lo, artist made, glass eyes, hand made lace gown. Under $10,  18 inches. 70s Bisque doll, original box My own antiqu...

Irving Chais owner of The New York Doll Hospital for 50 years passes! Fi...

Sweet Baby!

To my friend, Michelle of Vintage Rose, who gave me this hard plastic and magic skin baby, and to Mary R., my friend who gave her this great red coat and hat!  We are very Maude Humphrey Bogart!  

KPD officers searching for woman who attempted to steal dollhouse from s...

Portraits of Doll Faces

Faces: a Gallery—One of my favorite books of dolls is Manfred Bachmann’s Dolls the Wide World Over.  The book contains an excellent photo study of doll faces from all over the world.  Here are some of the Doll Faces we love from Dr. E’s Doll Museum.  I post them in honor of the National Doll Festival, Theriault’s Auctions, and UFDC Convention taking place this week in Orlando, Fl: