Antique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles Bruguier

An extremely fine antique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles Bruguier,
 
Swiss
 
early 1830s
 
Fusee movement
 
Serial number 163
 
Serviced in 1875 by the renowned Frisard workshops,  
 
Absolute alpine serenity...
 
When wound and the start/stop slide actuated smartly to the right, the bird lid rises and suddenly appears the plumaged feathered bird, opening and closing beak, turning head left and right, flapping both wings, bobbing tailfeather and rotating whole body from side to side, all perfectly synchronised to the slight paused sequential birdsong, then ending the performance as quickly as it began.
 
With the eight cam-stack providing the early-type 1-1-2-3-2-3-4 sequence, stamped to baseplate C. BRUGUIER Á GENEVE.  Inscribed in black ink to case inside front reads Enrico Pjaiici Destauro Femma 2 gbra 1875.  To inside back in black ink reads Frisard 5 8th 1866 (188 rue Martin) petita repreceration.
 
The bird with dark forest-green, turquoise, yellow and midnight blue feathered plumage, accompanied by flashes of red and iridescence of green and plum hues, rising up through very finely pierced and chased gilt grille with bird-form centrum, bird lid interior with a beautiful painted enamel study of a rose and pansy spray, set off on lime green ground, the bird lid top with a pictorial enamel view of a sailing vassal upon the water of a remote lake in an Alpine valley, with shore side dwelling, tree lines between rocks and steep meadows reaching up to the mountain range in the distance, under a cloudless sky in the afternoon sun, arc-shaped edge with tooled frame, border with double frieze fields of arrowheads and leaf points.
 
The main lid with predominant field of rich striking cobalt blue enamel, superbly executed in accordance with the matrix of tooling to include shield bosses, Rococo C scrolls and palm forms, two pairs of the finest floral sprays to main compass points, finished with clipper blue enamel edge infills,
on the exceptional tooled base with all sides having very complex inter-weave diametrically and vertically tooled bands all interlocking to produce the astonishing three-dimensional effect, shaped corners with mitre tops, rounded with X splats, underside with huge geometric tooled crest of the highest degree with leaf trail drops, on miniature weave ground, hidden key compartment to rear, start/stop with central rounded button front-right.
 
size - 3.7/8in. wide, 2.3/4in. deep, 1.1/2 high - (10 x 7 x 3.8cm)
 
Point of Interest -
 
Song patterns for Bruguier boxes usually have set sequences depending on the age and whether it was Charles or Jacques.  The one most used, although technically the most advanced through cam clutch action, is the 1-1-2-2-3-3-4 pattern, providing the listener with three immediate repeats of song passages, before the longer more complex singular finale.  This 1-1-2-3-2-3-4 sequence is perhaps more preferred by the serious collector as having the repeats played in between first-play material, creating a fresh melodic air to the ear throughout the performance.  Indeed, it may take several plays before one notices a repeat has taken place, providing a most clever method of birdsong which appears to have a stronger complexity.
 
The stunning case here has to be viewed.  Take particular note of the tooling to the base - a heaven of execution simply not seen anywhere. 
Absolutely exceptional. 

 

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Antique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles Bruguier
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Antique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierAntique silver-gilt and enamel singing bird box, by Charles Bruguier
 
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75 Portobello Road London W11 2QB 0207 221 1121 07967 385258
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