Little Birds Automatons Singer in a Gilded Cage by Bontems, France, 1890

Precision travel scale, pharmaceutical use. The box is made of oak wood. The scale can be completely disassembled and positioned inside the drawer. A lever allows you to lift the pla...

System walking: stick with the function of a musical instrument, the flute. Bamboo wood cane. Wooden and mother-of-pearl knob carved and engraved with E M ...

Terrestrial globe in watercolored paper, fixed with an inclined axis through a small brass arm, mounted on a black turned fruit wood base. Published by Ernst Schotte & Co. Berlin, Ge...

A rare botanical model of the Brendel, Triticum Vulgare N.11A (Gramineae). The round base in ebonized wood holds the botanical model which reveals the fl...

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...

This 19th-century French automaton from the late 1800s showcases a delightful ensemble of features: three vibrant animated birds, a cascading waterfall, a tree surrounded by rocky ou...

Automaton Singing birds Automaton singing birds housed in a gilded case standing on a stepped gilded base. Three articulated singing bird...

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...