A fabulous silver gilt, enamel, pearl and turquoise mounted singing bird box, by Karl Griesbaum,

 

Circa 1925

 

variant on model number 11

 

Going-barrel movement

 

Palatial splendor, in a box...

 

When wound and actuated by sliding start/stop bird-form button to the right, the bird appears through rich gilt pierced and tooled grille, moving metal beak, wings and body from side-to-side to continuous synchronised birdsong.

The bird with banded feathered plumage in Royal blue, midnight blue, red and green, plenty of green iridescent highlights to neck and shoulders, beautifully tooled radial sunburst splat to lid interior with flowerhead boss centre, in very large heavily embellished silver gilt case to the Griesbaum Turkish market taste, the bird lid with daisy patel enamel in white and blue finished with three tier cast filigree style boss with turquoise mount to top, main lid with opposing demilune daisy petal enamels with smaller similar filigrees, two further turquoise mounts, supported by repeating C scroll friezes and roseheads and leaf lattices, repeated to front and all sides in addition to raised and applied lornette fans daisy enamel roundels, to angled plinth base to the model 11 pattern with further daisy enamels, turquoise and mother of pearl mounts, central narrow storage drawer holding the Griesbaum extended key which winds up movement once drawer is removed from case, on wide shell scroll feet, underside with dark blue velvet covered finish.

 

Point of interest -

 

This very prominent creation by Griesbaum certainly catches your eye.  This is one singing bird box which needs to be seen at close hand to understand the complexity of the casework and the many details using the highlight materials. 

If you remove the drawer to wind this box up, you will notice that even all screw heads beneath the movement - not seen from the front - are all finished with roseheads and tooled to finish,  So much work involved, so much detail to take in.