An automaton built in Germany in 1772 for Queen Marie-Antoinette, this mechanical marvel plays the tympanon — a stringed hammered instrument resembling a small dulcimer. Restored in the 19th century by magician-inventor Robert-Houdin, the machine preserves centuries-old mechanics while embodying the uncanny charm of music brought to life by clockwork. Every strike on the tympanon's metal strings feels preordained, each hammer movement both precise and ghostly. It’s music without flesh — delicate