Cygan, an eight foot tall robot made in 1957, is to auction as part of Christie's Out of the Ordinary sale on September 5.
Estimated to be worth £6,000-8,000 ($9,120-12,161), the monumental cyborg was created by Dr Ing Fiorito - described by Christie's as "an enthusiastic aeromodeller from Turin".
 Meet Cygan: an eight foot tall robotic relic from the atomic age |
The giant robot was unveiled in 1957 - the year of his "birth" - at a sample fair in Milan. He then journeyed to London, where his ability to walk forward or backward, turn left or right, raise his arms and carry items was marvelled at by enormous, occasionally aghast crowds.
Cygan could even respond to voice commands, dancing with a well dressed lady before the cheering crowds in London, where he developed something of a celebrity following.
Created in the year that Sputnik - the world's first satellite - was launched, Cygan embodies the revolutionary technological advances which preoccupied a generation.
A mere 12 years later, Neil Armstrong would become the first man to walk on the moon. This remarkable Neil Armstrong signed photograph is currently open for bids at PFC Auctions.
Further highlights at Christie's Out of the Ordinary auction include a huge bell used in the 1958 film of the Titanic sinking, A Night to Remember, and the fossilised skeleton of a cave bear. These unconventional, yet inherently collectible, items carry £25,000 ($37,989) and £35,000 ($53,185) estimates, respectively.
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