About this lot

Description

A late 19th century singing bird box automaton, French, circa 1890, possibly Bontems model number 11, the rectangular tortoiseshell box with small hinged compartment to the rear, winding slot to the base, start/stop slider to front right, the top with an oval gilt hinged cover decorated with a pair of hand engraved birds, foliage and floral decoration within a plain oval border; on sliding the operating lever the cover opens and the full bodied bird with spiral legs and multi-coloured layered feathered plumage with predominant tones of green and blue complemented with green, red, orange and blue iridescent hummingbird feathers, rises through the finely tooled and pierced gilt grille & begins singing, moving the wings and tailfeather to continuous realistic birdsong, and after the performance descends down through the grille & the cover closes; presented in the original velvet and silk lined fitted case complete with winding key 3.50 x 10 x 6.50cm (1 x 4 x 3in)
Other Notes: The singing bird box (boîte à oiseau chanteur ) has its origins in Geneva in the late 18th century. However, during the second half of the nineteenth century until the early 1900s, Paris was the booming centre of automata production worldwide - and it is in this historical context that Maison Bontems flourished. Bontems can be regarded as the father of the modern singing bird box after his simplification of the movement and improvements in the sound. A successful house, famous for the realistic quality of their songs, Bontems exhibited in several worldwide Universal expositions and fairs where they were awarded a total of 43 medals and supplied a number of Royal households throughout the world, including Britain. In the 1960s, Maison Bontems was bought by Reuge of Sainte-Croix in Switzerland who continue to manufacture high quality musical boxes to this day. The model nº 11 by Bontems was the most popular of its range, and with its bellows in good condition produces clear and pleasant bird-song for ten to fifteen seconds each performance.

Back to lot listings