Singing Birds

Cage with two singing birds

    Cage with two singing birds

    Western Europe

    Late 19th century

    Bronze, brass, steel, leather, wood, painted feathers; patination, mechanical work, turning

    28 x 14.5 cm

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    Cylindrical cage, assembled from thin metal wire rods with dome and pendant in the form of a ball with a ring on the top. The cage is fixed on round stepped socle made of patinated copper alloy, decorated with chased foliate pattern along the perimeter and standing on three chiseled metal feet. Switching lever, built-in winding key and round acoustic window covered with metal mesh are on the socle bottom side. The base imitating plant formation is fixed inside the cage. The bird figurine in blue feathering with yellow wing tips sits on cannular rack installed in the base center. The bird in yellow feathering with blue feathers on the head and the tips of a Y-shaped tail, sits on the rack next below the first one. Wire branches with artificial light green leaves surround the racks. Cam mechanism with bellows, piccolo pipe with movable piston and spring drive with winding key is mounted inside the stand. When the movement is winded and mechanism is activated each bird alternately utters trills, turns its head, opens and closes its beak in phase with the movements of its tail.  

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    Инв.126/ММП