Musical automaton with music box
Musical automaton with music box
Saint-Croix
Circa 1900
Auguste Lassueur
Wood, metal, glass, fabric; Wood carving, casting, mechanical work, carpentry, turning
28 x 48 x 59 cm, 35 kg
On the coin acceptor plaque: “Einwurf/20 Rappen,” on the speed stabilizer of the roller: “2257”
A musical automaton in a wooden rectangular case veneered with mahogany, standing on a wide low pedestal. At the top of the case is a carved figurine finial. Acoustic windows, covered with wooden blinds, are made in the side walls. The front side features a glazed door with turned half-columns on either side and an ornate carved grille below the glass. To the right of the window is a slit for a coin acceptor with a metal overlay. On the inner side of the door, there are curtains and a harlequin made of dark red fabric with golden trimming. Inside the case is a musical mechanism with a program cylinder for eight melodies, a sound comb, and six bells on a horizontal axis. The melodies change automatically. The mechanism is mounted on a cast chassis. The winding of the mechanism is done using a removable handle through an opening in the left side of the case. Near the left end of the cylinder is an indicator of the number of the melody being played. In the background of the stage, there are three figurines in Chinese clothing holding hammers with which they hit the bells. In the foreground, there are three dancing female figurines in colorful dresses with lace trim. The musical automaton is activated by a coin dropped into the slot of the coin acceptor. The set includes a winding handle and a lock key for the door. In 1887, Auguste Lasseur, the owner of a music box factory in Saint-Croix, signed a contract with the "Jura-Simplon" railway company to install and maintain paid musical automatons in the waiting rooms of railway stations in Switzerland.
Инв.1880/ММП