83. Auktion - Auktionen Dr. Crott

An important singing bird box with musical movement, clock,
automaton and erotic automaton, of museum quality. To the best
of our knowledge this is the only existing singing bird box with
three extra complications - per se the technically most complicated
singing bird box ever
Case: 18K gold, signed “C. Bruguier à Genève”, No. 28, marked “PC”.
Rectangular, all-over engine-turned decoration with translucent cobalt
blue enamelling. Lid with central pearl-rimmed enamel plaque, square,
with opaque polychrome enamelling: hunting scene with a rider in court
attire on a white horse with his hound, chasing a deer into the river.
Rounded corners with acanthus flowers in Champlevé enamelling. Back
and lid with stylised palmette and acanthus frieze in Champlevé. Three
separate top compartments: left, musical movement with square winder
under a gold plate; right, automaton with two putti, hammering and
stoking the fire in a forge, bi-colour gold against a blued background.
The central hinged enamel plaque conceals the plumed bird of the
singing bird automaton. Front with pearl-rimmed dial and slide to start
the automaton. Reverse side with two compartments: left, hinged lid
concealing the erotic scene in a domestic interior, three-colour gold,
square winder. Right, plate with square winder protecting the singing
bird movement. Dial: enamel, Arabic numerals, gold baton hands.
Movm.: bridge movement, frosted, gilt, blued screws, keywind, ring
balance, blued balance spring. Automaton mechanism by Bruguier:
rectangular, full-plate, rounded pillars, chain/fusee, bellows, bird with
moving head, wings, beak and tail in front of a pierced and engraved gold
plate.
A particularly titillating detail is the continuously changing pace of
the erotic automaton.
32623 G/C: 2, 16 Z/D: 2 W/M: 2, 41
400.000 - 700.000 EUR 564.000 - 987.000 USD
4.000.000 - 7.000.000 HKD