Douglas Fisher Musical Instruments

A stunning and very fine Hexagonal gilt bronze and Sevres plaque single singing bird-in-cage, by Bontems, Going-barrel movement, When wound with the key and start/stop lever actuated, the large and perfectly perched red thrush begins to sing his chorus, moving naturalistic beak, tailfeather and head from side-to-side to continuous birdsong. One of the most sought after and most looked forward to models ever made by Bontems, this example is offered in pristine original condition. Hexagonal shaped, which is one of the rarer models you'll be lucky to come across, with 8 seperate porcelain plaques depicting lovers alternating with song birds within tooled gilt and bleu céleste borders Gilt bronze singing bird cages, usually with stained glass, or fine porcelain panel inserts, were made in limited numbers during the 19th century to commission orders. The first maker to offer a bird cage to this design was Jacquet Droz in about 1798 with his large singing bird in cage, fusee-driven with a clock to the underside so when hung up, its use was three-dimensional. Bontems created this with the past in mind and was no doubt the only maker...

An early Rochat singing bird box with fusee automaton movement numbered 316 and with stamped three tulip mark in the top plate of the movement. The tortoiseshell case with hinged snuff ( or key) compartment to the rear of the box. The gold lid is finely hand painted in enamel with an excellent alpine scene with a mountain in the background, a lake in the forground. The bezel surrounding the grille through which the bird pops up and down is also of gold. The underside of the lid is also beautifully painted with a posie of flowers on a light blue background. The bird, typically for Rochat, is of a large size for a singing bird box and the grille is typical of Rochat's work rather than Bruguier's. The top of the case with a fine border made from gold. The key wound chain driven fusee movement working the bellows & driving multiple cams that on sliding the operating lever to the front, the lid opens and the bird pops up, sings its head off and 1/ turns its head from left to right, 2/ flaps the wings and finally 3/ pirouettes left and right. On completion of his 20 second performance he drops through the superbly pierced silver gilt grille and the lid closes after him. All fusee movements allow the bird a longer performance than the later spring barrel movements but more importantly one extra manipulation, the movement of the head from left to right. Frères Rochat...

Antique Bruguier fusee singing bird box in silver gilt and enamel. First quality Swiss fusee singing bird box by Bruguier in silver gilt and hand painted enamel in perfect condition....

Threes a crowd and a good sound... When wound and actuated by start/stop lever to side, the three birds take turns to sing passages of the sequential birdsong, moving beaks, heads a...

Double the fun... When wound and actuation lever set to continuous position, the pair of full taxidermy perched birds take turns to sing the continuous phrases, by opening and closi...

A good antique gilt bronze singing bird box, by Flajoulot, Circa 1910, Going barrel movement, Typical Flajoulet, clever design... When wound and start/stop button sli...

An antique coin-operated large double singing birds-in-cage, by Bontems, French circa 1900 Spend a penny in style When wound and a 1d. coin inse...

Rare Automaton Whistler by Henry Phalibois, with papier-mache character head modeled with puckered, slightly-open lips, defined cheek bones, slender neck, threaded blue paperweight e...