Alice in Wonderland and the amazing Automata

After completing the first hat, I promptly made another one - this one Alice in Wonderland-themed. :) It was much quicker to make and fun to do. <3 It turned out great!

Also... You know my love for Steampunk and quirky inventions. As such, I'm embarrassed to tell you that I today learned a new word: Automata.
What is an automata? Well, technically it is a robot I suppose. The definition is: "1) A self-operating machine or mechanism, especially a robot. or 2) One that behaves or responds in a mechanical way."
But the thing is, that this is nothing new. I've found pictures of working automatas as old as from the 18th century. Back then, they worked much like advanced music boxes that not only played music, but moved as well. Birds singing in their cages, women playing harpsicords... Many thing these dolls are creepy, but they fascinate me.
Look at this amazing doll made for Marie-Antoinette:

and this lovely singing bird eerily similar to a real bird in sound: