A sublime singing bird, musical box and timepiece pictorial enamel and gilt bronze box, by C. H. Marguerat

Swiss

circa 1925

Going-barrel movement

Let William Tell look after your precious cargo...

When both the singing bird movement and musical movement captive keys are wound and the slides to front slid to the right, the bird emerges from under the finely painted lid through seamless gilt grille, moving painted metal beak, wings and whole body from side-to-side to continuous synchronised birdsong, as the first of four beautifully melodic airs plays in the background.,

The cylinder musical movement playing Le Bleu Danube, Belle Vue, Comtesse Maritza and Karthner, set to automatic change for 1-2-3-4 sequence once start/stop actuated.

The bird with very finely layered feathered plumage in light brown, turquoise, canary yellow and dove grey, highlighted magnificently with flashes of plum, red and green iridescence, rising through the seamless geometric matrix gilt grille, matt finished gilt lid interior, the lid top with the much sought-after painted enamel study of the hexagon island on Lake Geneva with the view facing south showing the cathedral, two swans upon the water under the mature trees and the main link bridge with moored William Tell steamer at the town port, beneath a flock of birds flying out towards the snow-capped mountains and red-tinged sky beyond, petit-baulle border.

Swiss timepiece with expanded portrait silvered oval dial and black Western Arabic numerals, lightly blued fretted hands, to the front centre with winding/setting crown below.

In sublime oval heavy relief decorated gilt bronze case, with the top bearing opposing quill and scroll appliqués on star and diamond ground, triple line and ribbon detail, start/stop slide for singing bird to moulded concave lid edge amongst laurel leaf and stylised acanthus leaf friezes, jewellery compartment to main body lid lift to centre opening to reveal polished gilt interior and access to the Marguerat pattern captive key wind for singing bird, timepiece dial flanked by continuous band of interlocking rectangular arch panels finished with wide swag trails and flower droplets, musical box movement start/stop centre-right below dial before final base edge of large baulle frieze, underside with full musical programme stamped to polished rondo ground, Marguerat pattern bun feet hexagonal heads.

Of superb original colour to gilding.

size - 4.1/2in. wide, 3.1/2in. deep, 3.1/4in. high, (11.5 x 9 x 8.3cm)

Point of interest  -

The steamship seen in the enamel study is the William Tell, operated by Compagnie Generale De Navigation Sur Lac Leman.

Although this enamel work was undertaken in the early 20th century, the view seen would have been as the island looked in about 1825, as the gas lights are only seen on the main link bridge and the William Tell did not continue service after 1827.

There are several Marguerat trademarks written all over this fine piece - namely the use of heavily stamped typeface for the musical programme underneath, the bun feet which double up as the movement plate holding screws and the genius captive folding winding keys making it impossible to miss-lay a loose key.

Have a good look at the way in which the detail on the outside makes a key appearance on the inside.  By lifting the jewellery compartment lid, one can see the tops of the relief arches from the panels, but these are seen concave, and as the case metal at this point is still a good thickness, the craftsman would have had to tool out each arch in relation to the band on the outside very accurately.

A very rare and comprehensively beautiful piece which will deserve plenty of handling and examination to reveal all of its secrets.