Boîte à oiseau chanteur en or, émail et perles par Jaquet-Droz & Leschot, Genève, vers 1805

rectangulaire à pans coupés, le couvercle s'ouvrant pour laisser l'automate à plumes chanter et danser, le fond émaillé de bleu translucide entouré de frises en taille d'épargne, et encadré de perles, le dessous orné d'une plaque émaillée finement peinte couvrant un compartiment à clé, la grille signée J^{t & Léchot / à Genève, la boîte insculpée du poinçon de maître M couronné, avec sa clé d'origine en or émaillé, dans un écrin postérieur}



of cut-cornered rectangular form, the oval enamel lid painted with a child admiring a flower wreath in a mirror and opening to reveal the feathered singing and dancing automaton, the translucent blue enamel ground over engine-turning within  pearl or taille d'épargne enamel swagged borders, the base inset with a fine enamel plaque painted with tourists in a racy high perch phaeton admiring an Alpine landscape and covering the key compartment, the flower and scroll pierced grille signed: J^{t & Léchot / à Genève, the box with maker's mark M crowned incuse, with original enamelled gold key, in later case}

The box is of the best quality that one would expect from the makers.. The enamel of the lid, oval panel and base plaque is in excellent condition; the pearl borders even include tiny pearls which complete the corners. The base opens to form the key compartment. The blue enamel panels on the sides have been tactfully restored as have the majority of the red swagged drapes at the corners. This does not detract from the overall appearance of the box apart from small scratches at the centre of the righthand side panel. The movement is currently in excellent working order. The bird itself has magnificent ly coloured and luxurianrt plumage. It dances and flaps its wings and opens its beak without hesitation. The keyhole is on the right side top near the front. A sliding button behind the keyhole at the same level decides whether the oval lid opens or not. A different tune is played depending on whether the bird is out or in. The button on the front left operates the movement.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Jean-Frédéric Leschot (1746-1824) was born in the horologically-famous town of La Chaux-de-Fonds.  From an early age he worked for  their neighbour Pierre Jaquet Droz (1721-1790) and his son Henry-Louis (1752-1791). The exploits of the Jaquets Droz in creating innovative automata of all sizes are well-known. They travelled widely in Europe, showing and selling their automata at royal courts, setting up business in London and, through their associate Henri Maillardet and the entrepreneur James Cox, exporting to the East. In 1769 Leschot became partner in the firm which moved base in 1784 to Geneva. From 1790 until his retirement in 1810, Leschot was dogged by business difficulties and tragic events outside his control. He lost his two partners in 1790 and 1791, the firm of Cox & Beale in Canton failed in 1792 leaving him with vast debts and the outbreak of the French revolutionary wars made what trade remained very difficult. His correspondence, conserved in the University Library in Geneva, gives a vivid picture of the struggles of a man who was inspired technically but not as proficient at business as his mentor.
The current singing bird box is particularly lavish in its ornament , set with both an enamel plaque on the lid and on the base, all framed by half pearls. Its pair, with a matching plaque on the base, the phaeton on the opposite side, the lid with a Roman subject, was sold, Sotheby's Zurich, 6 May 1980, lot 109. Another double-opening box with similar pearl ornament and the base panel signed by Richter is illustrated by Sharon Bailly, Oiseaux de bonheur, Geneva, 2001, pp. 106/7. A pair of such boxes, 2 tabatières octogones ... émaillées à étoffe cadres à perles dessus et dessous, are listed in Leschot's Livre d'ouvriers as having been supplied by Rémond Lami & Comp. in 1803. Such a date for the current box may well explain the curious signature which replaces the more common Jaquet-Droz & Leschot à Londres/London with Jaquet-Droz & Léchot à Genève. If the box was intended for the Paris market rather than for export, Leschot's usual reasoning that anything said to have been made in England would sell better, would not stand when the two countries (Geneva having been conquered by France in 1797) were once more at war following the Peace of Amiens.  It is clear the box was not intended for export to China as Leschot explained in another letter of 6 May 1792 to Henri Maillardet that he had been told that enamels showing figures in European dress were not popular there so boxes should only be ornamented with flowers or 'arabesques'.