Movement: The Magic of the Silver Swan - The Bowes Museum

About

The Silver Swan is considered one of The Bowes Museum's most iconic objects. A rare, surviving example of 18th century automata, it moves its head and beak as it 'swims' alongside a shoal of fish in glassy water. This almost magical ability to move so realistically is the work of the renowned inventor and clockmaker John Joseph Merlin (b.1735). The Magic of the Silver Swan introduces Merlin and his world of mechanical invention alongside key pieces from the historical to the contemporary. Celebrating automata, moving objects and kinetic artworks by artists, makers, designers and inventors, this exhibition explores our enduring fascination with mechanical devices and the beauty and artistry that can be found through, and in technology.