Singing bird box with clock
Singing bird box with clock
Germany, Hanau
1907-1930's
Schlingloff Jean L
Silver, brass, steel, feathers, glass; casting, chasing, enamel
17 x 16 x 24 cm, 2081 gr
Singing bird box in octagonal silver case on four cast feet - curls. A sculptural group is on the on the upper side, decorated with cast chased floral ornament. Silver figurines of a man and a woman in urban European costumes of the XVIII century, standing near the cage with a bird, a dog lying in front of them, a small tree is behind. An aperture for the sound output, covered with metal mesh is in front of the man’s feet. A mechanical bird in coloured feathers is in the cage. The bird's movement switch is on the case right side. When the movement turned on, the miniature bird in the cage starts spinning, flaps its wings, opens and closes the beak; sound movement imitates bird’s chirping. Keyhole is on the bottom, next to German silver marks and maker’s mark. The side surfaces of the case are decorated with two floral ornamented friezes, separated by a smooth cincture. A clock is the case with a hinged convex glass in a decorative bezel of golden metal is on the front side. Black Arabic numerals in the Gothic style are on white enamel dial, minutes’ graduations in the form of dots. Elegant painted garlands of flowers and leaves are near the numbers.
A keyhole with square cross-section rod is on the dial, near the six o’clock position of the hands. Two central hands in Louis XV style are made of yellow metal.
Инв.5974/ДПИ