25,300 CHF
King Arthur and Emmeline. Piguet & Meylan, No. 4902, circa 1820.Very fine and rare 18 ct. gold and enamel pearl-set two-train hour-striking and repeating musical watch with centre seconds, made for the Chinese market. Notes The scene is from the third act of the 1691 comic opera 'King Arthur and the British Worthy' by John Dryden with music by Henry Purcell. An adaptation in the 1780s at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, was billed as 'An Entertainment consisting of Dialogue Music and Machinery called Arthur and Emmeline', and this appears to be the inspiration for the engraving by P.W. Tomkins after Charles Ansell that was published in 1787.See lot 431 for a similar scene and a reproduction of the original engraving.For history of the company see note to lot No. 213.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2001-03-31
