The Collection of a Connoisseur 掌上的百年風華: 鐘錶及裝飾藝術收藏

A RARE DIMINUTIVE GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL SINGING BIRD BOX, THE MOVEMENT ROCHAT FRÈRES, GENEVA, CIRCA 1815

Restricted SpeciesVAT reduced rate

Auction Closed

July 14, 12:35 PM GMT

Estimate

60,000 - 80,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

A RARE DIMINUTIVE GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL SINGING BIRD BOX, THE MOVEMENT ROCHAT FRÈRES, GENEVA, CIRCA 1815

rectangular, the body enamelled in translucent scarlet within borders decorated in gold and turquoise taille d’épargne enamelling with delicate foliate scrollwork, the corners with ribbon-tied wreaths, the oval lid painted with a young girl playing with a pet squirrel and opening to reveal the bright-eyed bird with ivory beak and multi-coloured feathers which pick up the colours of the exterior enamelling, the movement with key-wound spring barrel, the bellows and singing controlled by a sliding stack of eight cams with further fixed cams to control the movement of the bird, the case apparently unmarked, the movement with Frères Rochat maker's mark and numbered: 292

7.2cm., 3in. wide

- Please note that the successful buyer of this lot will be unable to collect this lot immediately after the sale. Please contact the department for further details. - This lot contains ivory. Please note that Sotheby's will not assist buyers with CITES licence applications where a buyer elects to either collect or arrange their own shipping, nor will Sotheby's assist with the international movement of ivory by air, either as freight or through hand carry.

King Farouk of Egypt (1936-1965) until 1952;

sale, Sotheby & Co., The Palace Collections of Egypt, Cairo, 10-17 March 1954, lot 552; John Asprey Collection;

Mark Yaffe Collection, sale, The Art of Horology in Geneva, Antiquorum, Geneva, 13-14 November 1999, lot 81

Sharon & Christian Bailly, Oiseaux de Bonheur, Geneva, 2001, box and movement illustrated p. 250

Asprey, Music, Magic & Motion : An Exhibition of Rare 18th Century Watches, Boxes and Automata from the Asprey Private Collection, New York, 1988, no. 33, p. 43

The sons of David Rochat of Le Brassus worked with the innovative firm of Jaquet-Droz & Leschot in the last years of the 18th century to produce snuff boxes, flasks, cages and temples all containing these ‘playthings for Kings’. Later they moved to Geneva and opened their own workshops to carry on the same traditions of fine craftsmanship and invention. Their singing birds are considered to be unequalled later in performance and sweetness of tone.

The song of the present bird is of particular rarity and interest, as the cataloguer of the Palace Collections sale in 1954 pointed out – ‘the bird sings first the conventional bird song followed by a Swiss tune and then repeats the initial bird song’.