French

 

circa 1870

 

With exhibition-standard fine brightly feathered plumaged bird,

 

Very important example of this rare model,

 

When bird movement wound, timepiece running and actuation lever set to automatic, the bird sings a most pleasant continuous melody just before the hour is struck, synchronised to moving head, opening and closing beak and bobbing tailfeather, ending when the gong strikes the hour.

 

2-train timepiece striking on large blued gong on the hour and half-hour, butterfly painted and shaped solid gilt metal pendulum, open view vertically-aligned anchor escapement with shaped and polished ruby bars, within inset dial centre with matt gilt ground, raised winding hole escutcheons, circular cushion dial in white enamel with black Roman numerals and chapter lines, surmounted by the concave moulded gilt movement ring, fully decorated by complex champlevé enamel stylised scroll leaf pattern in pink, white, turquoise, red, black and yellow, read by the pierced blued hands.  The whole suspended within main structure.

 

Separate singing bird movement with dual cam action for fast and slow mixed paced continuous birdsong, actuated either manually from side lever, or if lever is selected to automatic position, singing one minute before the gong strikes the hour from the timepiece above, made possible by paddle rod reaching down from movement-to-movement within case corner.

 

The full taxidermy bird of the most desirable exotic colours, in bright turquoise, lime green, yellow and black, patterned most magnificently in dappled formation, black beak and black glass eyes, moving head, beak and tailfeather, standing on the naturalistic legs upon very fine painted textured rocky mount, with dried fern leaves, flowers and leaves, set off against the full-height back panel which is painted with a view of a river with bulrushes and mature trees, under the late afternoon hued sky, united with the timepiece once again with the butterfly pendulum moving in between this scene and the gong.

 

The case with bevelled glass front and sides.  The front opening for winding access, stamped gilt frame with small turned pull.  Flat top, highly polished with double acanthus leaf cast frieze running from sides through to the front, beneath the reappearance of the gorgeous champlevé band, with further band to front corner uprights to both side and front planes, finishing with large geometric raised star bursts of champlevé to front and sides, tall plinth base narrowing when further acanthus leaf frieze comes into view, on Bontems' trademark turned squat feet. 

Winding hole for singing bird movement through champlevé starburst on right-hand side. 

 

Size - 10.1/4in. wide, 7in. deep, 16in. high - (26 x 18 x 40.5cm) 

 

Point of Interest

 

This model is known by collectors and museums, but few have seen one let alone owned one.  The complexity of the enamel, with one tone seeping into another seamlessly within such a small space, is a small detail picked up when looking very carefully close up at just one tiny part of a whole length of champlevé banding. 

Suspended above the singing bird, the movement is not heavy to the eye.  And a glimpse into the exposed movement from both sides provides a insight into the presentation the maker wanted the viewer to see and go on and explore how and why it works. 

 

Bontems kept the very best taxidermy birds for the very best pieces.  The exhibition bronze and ormolu-based bird jumpers, the clock-actuated models such as this, and of course the serves panel and ormolu singing bird cage are a few instances where this species of bird have been used.  When it came to the best movements within the best cases, detail such as the bird was not overlooked.  

When it came to the auxiliary areas, such as the rocky moss-laden summit this bird is perched on, here too lies the best work by the cleverest craftsmen who undertook the paintwork, texturing and pressed dressage. 

 

Simply one of the finest and most useful singing birds made when Bontems were winning medal after medal for their tireless work.  This masterpiece certainly strikes that home.