Antique Tortoiseshell singing bird box by Bontems

 

An early antique tortoiseshell singing bird box, by Bontems,
 
Circa 1870,
 
Going barrel movement,
 
The colourful bird reflects his plumage in the lid...
 
When wound and the start/stop slide is moved to the right, the bird suddenly emerges through square-tooled Rococo scroll gilt grille then moves bone beak, wings, tailfeather and body from side-to-side to continuous synchronised birdsong.
The bird with banded feathered plumage in streaked turquoise, dark blue, orange and green, good purple and red iridescent highlights, highly polished lid interior for full bird reflection, twin laurel leaf engraved border and the lid top with a tri-gilt metal incised study of a pond-stalking crane beneath reeds, in polished half underbelly-cut tortoiseshell case with many light anomalies for movement glimpse, hidden key compartment to rear.
 
3.1/4in. wide, 2.1/2in. deep, 1.7/16in. high - (9.5 x 6.4 x 6.3cm)
 
Point of interest -
 
The case-maker has been very clever with the planning of this box.  With most lighter areas of tortoiseshell, it was a case of pot-luck which parts of the movement one saw when everything was put together.  With this example, the lightest areas cover the parts of the movement which move the quickest, so that the glimpse is supported by real movement features to get one close to the action.

 

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Antique Tortoiseshell singing bird box by Bontems
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75 Portobello Road London W11 2QB 0207 221 1121 07967 385258
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