Description:

Western Europe, Switzerland, ca. 1880s to 1900s CE. This antique 8 tune cylinder music box features a nickel-plated and ruby movement, zither, and a single piece comb, protected by a glass lid. The zither panel is lowered with a lever and has silk paper attached to its verso; when placed on the comb, it adds a tremolo effect to the tunes. The music box is housed in a wooden case with an inlaid floral lid. On the left side, there is a crank mechanism, while lever switches on the right are marked in French: "Arrete" (stop), "Joue" (play), "Change," and "Repete" (repeat). The cylinder plays 8 tunes, with an arrow indicator located in the back left corner. While there are no visible maker's marks on the case or mechanisms, the fine craftsmanship and the use of a large ruby in the mechanism suggest Swiss origins, possibly from Bremond, Paillard, or a similar competitor. This beautifully crafted piece exemplifies the high standards of 19th-century Swiss music box manufacturing. Size: 20.5" L x 9" W x 5.75" H (52.1 cm x 22.9 cm x 14.6 cm)

The music box only played tune #5, and while examining it, we were able to get #4 to play and now it only plays #4. Tunes are about 1 minute long, jaunty jig type of air. The entire wood lever panel lifts out and the Change / Repeat lever is not attached and does not function, it might be able to be repaired in order to change songs correctly, but that is not certain. The Play / Stop lever attachment needs to be carefully orientated correctly when reinserting the panel to function. We recommend taking this to a music box restoration specialist to restore full song functionality. Recordings of #4 and #5 can be provided upon request, the tunes have not been identified.

Provenance: private Park City, Utah, USA collection

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#188613

  • Condition: Change, Repeat do not function, Stop, and Play levers sometimes function / unreliable. Missing song list that was once inside the lid. Maker is unknown. See extended description below for more information on mechanism and tune playing. The wood exterior case is in good condition. Stable hairline fissures to one end and back panel. Crank lever functions. A few chips, but otherwise intact. Beautiful presentation overall and song #4 can minimally be enjoyed as is.

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November 22, 2024 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
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$300 $999 $50
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$2,000 $4,999 $250
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$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
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$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000