Nightingale and Fledglings

Nightingale and Fledglings. FR (Frères Rochat), Geneva, No. 228, probably made for the Russian market, circa 1814. Magnificent, highly important and probably unique gold and enamel, diamond-set miniature singing bird cage with center-seconds petite sonnerie clockwatch, the three birds singing on the hour or at will. Octagonal base, side panels very finely painted on enamel with lakeside scenes, watch in the front surrounded by green enamel plaque painted with garlands of flowers and red ribbons, back with bouquet of flowers, chased and engraved gold background, canted corners with azure enamel plaques applied to a chased and foliate engraved gold background, spring-loaded front panel reveals winding and setting arbors, striking/silence lever, singing/silence lever, activation lever at the left edge. The cage, following the shape of the base, supported on four sets of two Corinthian columns in rose gold with yellow gold capitals and floral bases, mesh wire screen at the base, the cage itself formed of rose gold lances. The dome stands on a gold and chased ribbon bordered with black champlevé enamel, with alternating diamonds and azure enamel segments centered by gold leaves, the eight panels of the dome formed of alternating segments of gold wire mesh with applied painted on enamel flower garlads and pierced and florally engraved gold segments separated by half-round gold wire with translucent imperial blue enamel, the base of the dome decorated with translucent red, green,