Antique Swiss 18-Karat Gold, Enamel Musical Automaton Erotic Seal, circa 1840

Antique early 20th century Austrian solid silver & hand painted enamel cigarette case. Stunning quality, richly parcel gilt, the cover enamelled with a young nude girl in her bed, surrounded by draped silk sheets...

Antique 19th century Austrian rare and unusual solid silver-gilt and enamel reliquary, pierced and decorated with multicolored enamels, sides set with carved rock crystal panels and ...

19th century French silver & enamel religious Icon depicting St Mary (Mary, mother of Jesus). CONDITION In Great Condition - No Damage. B...

Antique late 19th Century Victorian solid silver & enamel ashtray depicting 'the four vices', Of round shape, pierced and beaded boarder, mounted with plaques depicting a woman, drin...

Antique 20th century Avro 504K laminated mahogany propeller bearing stamped date 11/25 (November 1925) and original manufacturer’s proof marks, havi...

A truly striking table football table made in Switzerland around the middle of the 20th century. CONDITION In great vintage condition - sympathetica...

Pendant with music box. Gold. Switzerland, around 1820. Pendant made of gold of alloys with different metals to give it different tones that pr...

A musical movement distinguishes this wonderful early 19th-century gold vinaigrette box. The vessel is covered in delicate engraving highlighted by bl...

One of the most amazing timepieces we have ever acquired that offers far more than meets the eye, this incredible work of art blends the beauty of a painting with the mechanical complexities of both a cylinder music box and an automaton. While it is clear to see the integrated clock residing within the arched giltwood and gesso frame, when activated, this painting quite literally comes alive. As the cylinder mechanism within plays its lovely tune, every character in the farrier's shop becomes animated – from the group of farrier's toiling away at the forge and anvil forming the horseshoes, to the wagging of the charming terrier's tale. This musical automaton picture clock is attributed to Xavier Tharin of Paris who was the preeminent creator of this fantastical "moving pictures", especially this particular farrier scene. His process mixed oil painting and hand-colored lithograph images that were layered starting from the back, middle and foreground to craft the complex series of movements throughout the painting. A look inside this particular work reveals the complex mechanism (with the three gongs, pendulum and cylinder components immediately visible) which must run the timepiece, the cylinder musical component plus the multitude of moving elements in the painting...a truly incredible feat considering the technical prowess to create just one of these devices. Musical picture clocks...

This special and important Swiss gold music box is chased and engraved with a set of musical instruments surrounded by elaborate swirls of ornate foliage. Embossed with a delightful braided gold design, the two-compartment box features an exquisite oval agate key, which opens a recessed lock in the base of the box. Such a box would have been a prized possession and would have been able to fit neatly into a gentleman’s waistcoat pocket. Ingenious miniature portable devices, musical snuff boxes...

This fine, antique mantel clock is constructed in ebonised wood by the renowned Parisian maker of automata, Xavier Tharin (French, active mid 19th Century). The clock face is set onto a curled, stylized pediment atop the clock case. The face is of white enamel, featuring black Roman numerals and signed 'Tharin a Paris', and is bordered in beaded ormolu. The pediment in which the face is set is decorated with ormolu mounts of stylized acanthus leaf form. The pediment is set onto a rectangular frame of ebonised wood, inside which is set a musical automaton...

This early 19th century Swiss gold vinaigrette has the charming addition of a musical mechanism. The entire box is crafted of 14-karat yellow gold envelo...