12,650 CHF
Charles Bruguier, Geneva, No. 402, circa 1840.Fine tortoiseshell and 18K gold, singing bird box, in original fitted case stamped by the retailer: Howell James & Co. Regent Street, London. Two part, entirely made of tortoiseshell, hinged back panel for the key compartment. The gold singing bird box cover enamelled with a fine painted view of Geneva seen from Pregny, the enamel backing painted with a composition of summer flowers. Notes Charles Abraham BruguierBorn in Geneva in 1788. He spent the first years of his career working for other manufacturers making automata, before returning to Geneva and establishing his own business. His workshops continued under the guidance of his two sons, followed by his grandson. Bruguier understood better than his predecessors (Jaquet-Droz, Leschot and Les Frères Rochat) the secrets of successfully re-creating "bird-song", and he achieved considerable improvements in the design of the movements. His early works, awell as his bird cages, are considered as the finest "singing" mechanisms ever made in a small size. He died in 1862.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1999-11-13
