Circa 1870,

 

Going-barrel movement,

 

Tortoiseshell magic brought to you by Bontems,

 

When wound and start/stop slide moved to the right, the bird appears through extremely fine filigree and tooled gilt grille with seamless centrum, moving bone beak, wings, tailfeather and body from side-to-side to continuous synchronised birdsong.

The bird with mirrored layered feathered plumage in dark brown, dove grey, turquoise, red and lagoon blue, subtle touches of green iridescence, matt polished lid interior, the lid top engraved with fan urn with floral trails, plain lid border, in plain tortoiseshell case with excellent light striped anomalies of even spread towards front lid edge.

 

3.15/16in. wide, 2.5/8in. deep, 1.1/2in. high - (10 x 6.2 x 3.8cm)

 

Point of interest -

If only the records survived of the names of the toolworkers in the Bontems factory.  A small affair to begin with, the team there had the best pairs of hands anywhere when it came to working detail in miniature.  Feel free to study the grille on this example - one of the best tooled grilles yet seen on a antique Bontems singing bird box.