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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Table clock · Londres

Coffret avec oiseau chanteur

Verified

Box with singing bird, music and watch. Signed twice. Bird mechanism: JAQUET-DROZ & LESCHOT LONDON, Last quarter of 18th century (bird mechanism). Box, watch and music movement: Circa 1840.

Technical facts

Inventory number
MIH IV-89
Object type
Table clock
Place of production
Londres
Dating
1784 - 1830
Materials and techniques (catalogue wording)
Argent
Dimensions (catalogue)
dimensions min/max: 101 x 120 mm

Historical significance

  • Box with singing bird, music and watch. Signed twice. Bird mechanism: JAQUET-DROZ & LESCHOT LONDON, Last quarter of 18th century (bird mechanism). Box, watch and music movement: Circa 1840.
  • Rectangular, engraved and set with pearls, the gilded silver box was originally decorated with champlevé enamels, a few traces of which have survived. The watch dial on the front is encircled with pearls.
  • The cover hiding the songbird is decorated with an enamel painting of the children's game "Thread the Needle", based on a work by William Hamilton (1751-1801). When the bird is activated, it beats its wings and opens and closes its beak. A brass plate, engraved and pierced with scrolls, partially covers the watch movement, which has a cylinder escapement, and the music mechanism with its pinned disc.
  • The watch has a white enamel dial with Roman numerals and a centre seconds hand.
  • Hamilton's work decorates an identical box with the same signature, which was auctioned by Antiquorum on 10 June, 1997 in Hong Kong (cat. no 421). It is also found on a box in the Wilsdorf Collection (Rolex), in Geneva. This one is signed by the enameller Jean-Louis Richter (1766-1841) as well as by Jaquet-Droz and Leschot.

Photographs

Coffret avec oiseau chanteur (MIH IV-89)
Coffret avec oiseau chanteur (MIH IV-89) — Musée international d'horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Museum collection photograph, rights review pending. MIH collection record

Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.

Sources & references

  1. Musée international d'horlogerie, online collection record, inv. IV-89: https://collection.mih.ch/fr/collection/item/39496/

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.