1,010,000 HKD
Helen and Paris Frères Rochat, Geneva, No. 56, box by Georges Reymond, tune from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Geneva, made for the Chinese market circa 1815. Magnificent and rare 18K gold and painted on enamel, pearl-set musical singing bird box with center-seconds, quarter-repeating watch. Four-body, rectangular with rounded corners, predominately in translucent scarlet enamel over “basket” engine-turning, the borders with champlevé black, blue and white floral decoration. The top panel with oval medallion concealing the bird very finely painted on enamel with Helen and Paris within half-pearl-set frame. When the bird cover is opened, the bird rises and begins to move and the song starts, being activated by a slide in the edge of the case. The articulated bird sings, rotates, turns its head, opens its beak, flaps its wings and moves its tail. White enamel, Roman numerals with minute and seconds dot divisions. Blued-steel “spearhead” hands. Notes Provenance:Lord Sandberg Collection (see Antiquorum April 1, 2001, No. 413.), Important North American Collector. This is one of the most complicated and spectacular Rochat singing bird boxes. The box, which is preserved in remarkably good condition, has a bird which not only sings but sings a particular melody – from Mozart’s the Marriage of Figaro. It has four distinct mechanisms: a singing bird, a watch, a special quarter-repeating mechanism with large gongs, and a musical movement with special grasshopper-type vibrating bla
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2004-06-06
