Attributed to Jaquet-Droz

Attributed to Jaquet-Droz, Geneva, circa 1780. Extremely rare and fine gilt brass and enamel, hanging cage with two singing birds, with a center-seconds clock striking hours and quarters, beneath, a 12-stream fountain, playing six tunes on demand or changing automatically on the hour. gilt brass cage, square base with canted corners, each side with a finely painted on enamel medallions with children, and pastoral scene, bay-leaf ormolu frame with applied ormolu flower stems, brown background, one medallion hinged for the winding aperture, panel to the right with activating pull cord and lever for singing/silent change, canted corners with gilt brass vase with flowers, center architectural fence panels with tops pierced and engraved with flowers and stylized foliage, gilt wire top centered by gilt flower bud with hinged ring loop. Inside in the center an animated fountain with 12 twisted glass wands coming from a gilt decorated bowl with floral capital, flanked by two nightingales sitting on both sides of gilt bar, each turning around, with animated wings, beak and tail. Base fitted with the dial, reeded bezel, foliate decoration in the corners around the ball and paw feet. Notes Toward the end of the 17th century it was a popular pastime to raise canary birds and teach them to sing. This fashion was the inspiration for the decorative objects using singing birds of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, of which this clock is an example. At first the bird's song was pr Read more…