Early 20th Century Swiss Tulipwood Inlaid and Ebonized Zither Cylinder Music Box

Listen to soft, cheerful music in your living room with this traditional, antique music box. Crafted in Paris, France circa 1920, the wood case with inlaid decor, has black painted ...

Decorate a master bathroom counter with this miniature chest of drawers. Crafted in France, circa 1920, the petite fruitwood "Commode de Maitrise" (or masterwork created by a cabinetmaker's apprentice to prove mastery of his craft at the end of his apprenticeship), sits on four bun feet; the chest features three bombe drawers across the front decorated with intricate handles. The small antique cabinet...

Tiny dancers twirl to the melodious tunes produced by this Swiss station cylinder music box. The cylinder is joined by a drum and bells that give richness and depth to the wonderful music the box creates. Music boxes were at the height of fashion in the late 19th century and served as a status symbol for the European gentry. Switzerland was the birthplace of cylinder music boxes and home to the great majority of the most renowned manufacturers. This example, in its finely crafted English walnut case, boasts two combs, allowing the box to play in harmony for a richer, more complex song. This particular style, commonly referred to as a “station” or “showcase” box, was used to entertain guests in hotel lobbies, train stations and other similar public places, and as such would have been coin-operated. This example, however, does not accept coins. This, combined with its overall quality, complexity and beauty, indicates it was made for a private household of significant means. Today, these ingenious musical masterpieces are highly sought-after by collectors of musical automata...

This is a 19th century Swiss cylinder carved music box on a table by Mermod Freres. The maker’s mark is in a silver color shield shaped metal at the righ...