Can you identify the mystery man?

I saw this at an Antique center and just had to have it. The price was stupidly high but with some negotiation it came down to high priced.

Now the task is to find out what it was advertising. It should be holding something in its hands probably a flat board with an inscription but that was not available when I purchased it. The seller said it was French and was used to advertise paint but I have not been able to find anything on the internet confirming this.

Has anyone seen this mannequin in use? It look to be 1960s or 1970s and is in good condition so I suspect it would have been inside not outside or in a moderate climate. The hat is like a chinese mandarin hat with a tassel, black work boots and a bunch of keys hanging from the belt

Any pointers would help.

Edited By AJW on 30/10/2018 18:22:51

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 30/10/2018 19:02:05

The hand positions would suit a paint brush and can handle but the pose is a bit odd. My first thought was tyres but the hand positions don't match that.

Itried Google Image Search

"Best guess for this image: statue"

So now you know, it's a statue.

Looks like he could be loading a field gun to me!

Is he wearing a beret?

And this is sort of similar:

I like the idea he could be holding a tyre with its top hiding those strange lips except for the bunch of door keys on his waist. Outside an Ironmonger's holding a sign perhaps.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 30/10/2018 19:20:48

I think it's the little so and so who lurks in all our workshops who keeps hiding stuff we saw a minute before

Mick

Post (i.e. later than) homunculus

Could be a one off, like those neon light signs for businesses

One offs were relatively common in the olden days

vintage advertising statue?

Edited By Ady1 on 30/10/2018 22:28:36

Glazier or locksmith?

His protective overall and boots must indicate some physical risk of injury without them. The left hand has a flat palm, presumably for fitting/holding something flat in that hand.

Too clean or over-protective for a painter/decorator?

Is there a flat on the fingers of the right hand?

Blacksmiths tended to wear aprons, but this might be a metal-melter rather than former, but I don’t think that would be my favoured guess.

i agree with S.O.D. A bloke changing a tyre!

Edited By carl timmins on 31/10/2018 07:47:25

French Tyre advertising, saw one in an antique shop some years ago in Northern France, IIRC it had a motorcycle tyre?

Cheers, Martin

Looks like Joe Stalin,or perhaps his younger brother !

Predecessor to the Michelin man?

Edited By carl timmins on 31/10/2018 10:32:52

Michelin man is even older than I am...

This is the Michelin lady...

Oo la, la,

Dave

Mystery solved,

After hours and hours of trawling the internet, (gosh so many advertising figures to look at) I found a photograph with the mystery man in. Dwarfed by Ice cream cones he looked to be much smaller than the 27 inches (685mm) high figure I have. The photograph had a manufactures name Yabdesgine based in the Philippines they seem to be responsible for most of the worlds figures. Not finding any information other than the group photograph with the ice cream cones I contacted the company by e male. They confirmed they did manufacture this figure and my man is known as wine man and should have a wine rack in his hands no longer in production he is succeeded by beer man.

Thank you to everyone for your help.

I can sleep now.

Information http://www.yabdesign.com/about-us/

Edited By carl timmins on 20/11/2018 18:01:29

There's a surprisingly similar company on the edge of Dartmoor in Bovey Tracey!

They have a massive showroom open to the public and full of all sorts of things!

www.lifesize-models.co.uk/