1,488,500 CHF
Attributable to John Rich and Decombaz, circa 1805, casemaker's mark "JGR & Cie" (Jean Georges Reymond & Cie), made for the Chinese market. Magnificent and extremely rare, 18K gold and enamel, pearl-set musical center-seconds scent flask fitted with a watch, with carillon and exceptional automaton scene. Entirely painted on enamel, the front housing the watch movement, the back the musical automaton, the former entirely decorated with red, green and imperial blue translucent champlevé enamel over Barleycorn flinqué, aperture for the watch movement with half-pearl frame, above, an enameled medallion of a young lady in a half pearl frame within an applied gold flower and leaf wreath, below the dial, applied gold flower garlands and garlands made of half-pearls, the stopper with pearl-set base,opped by a gold acorn decorated with blue champlevé enamel, oval fluted base with eight lobed sectors above, each decorated with a red palm motif on an azure enamel ground. The automaton side with a double painted on enamel panel in the center, illustrating a biblical emblem represented by the greenness of the palm tree which symbolizes the deeds of the just that will grow and evolve like the palm tree in the desert, pearl-set frame, above, an enameled portrait of a lady, all set on translucentmperial blue enamel over Barleycorn flinqué, the sides pierced, enameled and engraved with a repeated foliate pattern. Below the panels to the right, a knob which, when pressed, opens the panels
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2001-10-13
