1,018,500 CHF
“La leçon de chant” Frères Rochat, Geneva, No. 120, made for the Chinese market, circa 1815. Exceptional and unique large rectangular 18K gold and enamel pearl- and diamond-set large singing bird box featuring two birds with rare forward movement of the head and body. Four-body, the center of the front lid with aperture for large very finely painted on enamel medallion with flowers and fruits, which when lifted reveals two birds rising over a realistically painted enamel nest with straw and flowers and champlevé enamel border. Between them is a vase with diamond-set flowers, at which the birds appear to peck. The birds rotate, turn their heads, move their heads back and forth, lean forward, flap their wings and and tails and open their beaks to sing, one after the other. The top panel decorated with gold scrolling and champlevé foliate and floral patterns against pink champlevé enamel, outer edges and aperture set with half pearls, one side hinged revealing the key compartment. Side panels and the base decorated with translucent green enamel over double pattern engine-turning with frames of white and pink champlevé enamel and blue enamel flowers. Rectangular, 100 x 65 mm. brass, large going barrel, twelve cams and a whistle with sliding piston for the song’s modulation. The cams rotate four times per song and lift one step every rotation, allowing a long duration of singing. Addfitional set of four cams mounted on the extension of the third wheel for controlling the bird
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-04-02
