A fine and early singing bird box, by Charles Bruguier,
circa 1825,
No. unknown,
the fusee movement stamped to ratchet side of the springplate C. BRUGUIER Á GENEVA, with the GUIER of BRUGUIER interestingly scratched out unsympathetically, the serial number uniquely absent from any other areas of the movement, the bird with multi-coloured plumage, moving head, beak, wings and tailfeather to 1-2-3-4 sequential birdsong from the eight-cam stack and rectangular bellows, rising through pierced and chased gilt grille, the lid interior with enamel of a floral spray on yellow ground, lid with complete automatic lid-lock mechanism, the lid top with slightly-domed painted enamel study of Lac Leman, with the tree-crowned pentagonal island with interconnecting jetties beside shoreline street with tall dwellings, the south shore with waiting paddle steamer boarding passengers, with a line of people waving them off, the water quite calm with empty canoe at the bridge, a small sailing ship in the distance, and the north shore peninsula with hilltop before the barren mountains beyond, the sun with slight ray bursts casting shadows by the buildings, with geometrically chased flower head and C scroll border, in plain deep-toned polished tortoiseshell case, with hidden key compartment at rear, start/stop button front-right in yellow metal, with a key - 3.5/8in. (9.2cm) wide
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