Auguste Golay-Leresche

Auguste Golay-Leresche, Charles Abraham Bruguier and Jacques-Aimé Glardon, Geneva. Made in 1859. Exhibited at the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris, where Golay-Leresche won a Silver Medal. A magnificent and unique silver jewel casket, with serinette musician, singing bird and automaton sable. Eight day clock movement with special escapement centre-seconds, perpetual calendar, thermometer and barometer. Notes The Animation Upon releasing the mechanism, the singing bird appears from beneath its lid, which is disguised as part of a tree stump, and proceeds to sing and move for a considerable period. As it ceases, the musician raises both his arms, holding the serpent, and turns his head to address the mouthpiece, the motion causing the counterbalanced feather in his hat to oscillate. He plays a simpler tune, with the notes produced by the serinette and marked by the movement of his fingers. The bird continues to flutter on its perch, but without moving its beak. At the end of his tune, he lowers the serpent and turns towards the bird again. The bird then replies with a further and more complex song. The sequence is repeated with different bird song and serinette tunes During the fourth and final sequence, the sable emerges slowly from the left hand cave, walking with all four legs whilst turning its head, hesitates and then comes to rest in front of the rock containing the bird. As the musician finishes, the bird returns into the rock and the sable disappears instantaneo