Tortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles Bruguier

A very early fine tortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles Bruguier,

 
Swiss
 
circa 1830
 
Serial number 73
 
Fusee movement
 
The Swiss black beauty...
 
When wound and the finely engraved gold start/stop button actuated, the bird lid opens as the bird suddenly and magically appears, opening and closing tiny bone beak, turning head, flapping both wings, bobbing tailfeather all as entire body turns from side-to-side, perfectly synchronised to the slight paused sequential melodic bird song directed by the eight cam stack to the much favoured 1-2-3-2-3-4 pattern, lasting approximately 20 seconds, coming to an end when the bird suddenly pops down as the bird lid closes.
 
Signed in Bruguier's hand to one of the spring loafers Charles Bruguier, 
Stamped in upper case to bottom plate by winding ratchet C. BRUGUIER Á GENEVÉ and numbered 73.  
 
The bird with very densely toned feathered plumage with predominant red and speckles of turquoise, streaks of light green and dark brown, all interwoven with flashes of iridescent greens and golds, rising up through the extremely delicate and pierced 14kt gold grille, all chased with scrolls and leaf branches, pierced bird-form centrum, lid interior of the gold bird lid with a micro-pictorial enamel study of Geneva.
 
In magnificent highly polished plain tortoiseshell case, bearing two light-streaked anomalies to top with a glimpse or two of the movement within, hidden key compartment at rear.
 
size -
3.3/4in. wide, 2.1/2in. deep, 1.3/8in. high - (9.5 x 6.5 x 3.5cm)
 
 
Fusee singing bird boxes are not all gold, silver, silver-gilt or enamel.  Charles Bruguier started with the tortoiseshell-cased model, and here it is...
STOCK No1699
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Tortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles Bruguier
Tortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierTortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierTortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierTortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierTortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierTortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierTortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierTortoiseshell, gold and enamel singing bird box, by Charles BruguierTortoiseshell, gold 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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