A good narrow-proportioned silver singing bird box,

 

German,

 

Circa 1920,

 

Let the dancing Putti serenade you...

 

When wound and bird-form start/stop slide is moved to the right, the bird emerges through pierced and tooled gilt grille, moving metal beak, wings and body from side-to-side to continuous synchronised birdsong.

The bird with undertone plumage in black, covered by dark brown and turquoise feathers, balanced by hazel brown, green and dark blue iridescent plumage, relief underside from lid top image of the bird lid, lid top with a study of three children dancing and one playing the violin, flanked by the main lid top with one putti playing panpipes, the other cherub playing twin horns, all accompanied by sweeping leaf scrolls and flowerheads, all sides with one central putti each playing an instruments, with further scroll accompaniments, reaching also to underside with a fan trumpet with perched peacock.

 

3.3/4in. wide, 2.1/4in. deep, 1.5/8in. high - (9.5 x 5.8 x 4.2cm)

 

Point of interest -

 

German singing bird boxes are renowned for their heavy yet highly detailed decoration in relief.  This narrow-proportioned box is slimmer in depth, which takes away some of the heaviness at an instant.  Putti play a big role as a subject matter on these boxes, usually with children or dancing with instruments, here is no exception.  Notice how the matching of flowerheads from two pairs meeting at the corners blend into one flowerhead once viewed from a distance.

 

RG