A very early Rochat singing bird box with fusee automaton movement. The tortoiseshell case with hinged snuff ( or key) compartment to the rear of the box. The gold lid is finely hand painted in enamel with an excellent scene of the lack, with sailing boats, and snow covered mountains in the background, and a house in the foreground. The bezel surrounding the grille through which the bird pops up and down is also of gold. The underside of the lid is also beautifully painted with a posie of flowers on a blue ground. The bird, typically for Rochat, is of a large size for a singing bird box and the grille is typical of Rochat's work rather than Bruguier's. The key wound chain driven fusee movement working the bellows & driving multiple cams that on sliding the engraved gold operating lever to the front, the lid opens and the bird pops up, sings its head off and 1/ turns its head from left to right, 2/ flaps the wings, 3/opens and shuts his ivory beak and finally 4/ pirouettes left and right. On completion of his 27 second performance he drops through the superbly pierced silver gilt grille and the lid closes after him. All fusee movements allow the bird a longer performance than the later spring barrel movements but more importantly one extra manipulation, the movement of the head from left to right. The enamel to the lid is perfect on both sides. With a silver ratchet key. Movement is numbered 110 and stamped with the three tulips, for Frères Rochat. As number 110 it is one of the earlier recorded Rochat movements and was likely completed before the three Rochat brothers split in 1820. Swiss circa 1818. 9.4cm Long by 6.2cm deep and 3cm high