PROPERTY OF AN IMPORTANT LADY

LES FRÈRES ROCHAT | NO 181, A VARI-COLOUR GOLD AND TURQUOISE SINGING BIRD BOX WITH QUARTER REPEATING WATCH, CIRCA 1820 | "NO181 多色黃金鑲綠松石鳥鳴盒子,備大三針及二問鐘錶,約1820年製"

Auction Closed

October 9, 11:30 AM GMT

Estimate

800,000 - 1,200,000 HKD

Lot Details

Description

PROPERTY OF AN IMPORTANT LADY

LES FRÈRES ROCHAT


NO 181

A VARI-COLOUR GOLD AND TURQUOISE SINGING BIRD BOX WITH QUARTER REPEATING WATCH, CIRCA 1820

"NO181 多色黃金鑲綠松石鳥鳴盒子,備大三針及二問鐘錶,約1820年製"

附帶鑰匙


Dial: enamel, bezel surrounded by turquoises and mounted on a rectangular panel with concealed hinge matched on the back for the key compartment

Calibre: cylinder escapement, key wound chain fusée with sliding cam stack to control the bellows and singing

Movement number: FR within an oval and numbered 181

Case: rectangular partly engine-turned and chased with vari-colour gold leafage set with turquoises, the bird concealed beneath an oval panel and rising from a bird-shaped reserve surrounded by a gold plate engraved with lattice work, the brightly feathered bird with swiveling body, flapping wings, moving head and beak, the front mounted with the watch with circular white enamel dial

Size: 84 mm length

Signed: case stamped and numbered

Accessories: fitted key

The mechanical singing bird is one of the most captivating of all automata. Frères Rochat were world renowned for their exceptional quality, realistic bodily movements and the tones of their songs. The firm worked with the finest case makers who housed their automata in exquisite gold boxes, richly adorned with decorative panels and sometimes embellished with enamel, pearls or other precious metals.


The present box has been retained in exceptional condition and what further highlights its rarity is the quarter repeating watch seldom seen on singing bird boxes. In addition to the quality, the present lot was purchased at Sotheby's in New York in the groundbreaking Masterpieces from the Time Museum auction and the box has remained in the same private collection ever since.