oh wow, the “water” is an illusion created by spinning glass rods.
wooooooooooah
I will reblog this automaton every single time I see it because I adore it and you cannot stop me.
The Silver Swan can be seen at The Bowes Museum in County Durham, England. More about it here.
They still run it, once daily at 2pm. It’s an amazing piece, and I hope to see it one day.
WHAT
… There can only be one reaction to this wonder.
But seriously, it’s mind boggling that something like that was achieved through clockwork mechanisms from two centuries ago. And that it is so well made that it’s still working to this day.