This rabbit is produced from 1890 and quite rare
In the 2014 book: Fernand Martin Toymaker in Paris, the Le Lapin Vivant is listed on page 59 with the number 32 but the new number is 114
I know some color varieties such as white, light brown and dark brown.
It is a fairly small bunny with a height of 13 cm.
After winding up, he moves forward and his ears and arms move.
Immediately below the winding roll it is marked with the old known logo of Martin, the circle with the letters “F.M.” and “depose”
So far I have only seen versions with a flywheel drive.
Recognizable on the side where the wheel is to wrap the rope.
With the rubber band version I have never seen myself
I recently bought a series of 4 little etchings from 1892 with images of toys.
On one of the etchings this Le Lapin Vivant with the version with a rubber belt drive is shown.
The original etching is very small; approximately 8×10 cm
In the French technical year magazine: La Nature from 1892 on page 45 this drawing / etching is depicted on which a beautifully open worked Le Pantin Vivant can be seen.
This etching is made by mr. Louis Poyet
Mr Poyet made many etchings of toys for the technical magazin “La Nature”, he therefore regularly visited toy factories, including of course the Fernand Martin factory to make a lot of etchings of the latest new toys.