62,500 CHF
SINGING BIRD CARRIAGE CLOCK Japy Freres, France. Made circa 1880. Fine and extremely rare, center-seconds, 8-day going, hour and half-hour striking carriage clock, with repeating, alarm and singing bird activated on the hour and at will. GiIt brass, multi-piece and one-piece, the base cast with scrollwork on a matted ground, free-standing acanthus columns with cone fi nials, glazed sides, solid back door, an extension of the case above glazed on three sides and the top, with swan-neck carrying handle, the bird contained within amongst foliage. White enamel, Roman hour numerals, outer minute track, and alarm setting dial below. Blued-steel Breguet hands with sweep centre-seconds. Notes This carriage clock with singing bird is extremely rare with only a handful of examples known to exist. The singing bird is activated on the hour followed shortly afterwards by the normal striking on a bell. For variants and discussion about singing bird carriage clocks see : Carriage Clocks – Their History and Development, Allix and Bonnert, 1974, pp. 221-223.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2012-11-11
