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Lot Essay
The present box and its spectacular combination of a lavishly decorated case and highly complex movements featuring a singing bird, music and a centre seconds watch is the perfect example for a decorative object made for a Chinese dignitary. The outstanding quality is typical for such items made in Geneva during the 19th century, much coveted by collectors in Europe and Overseas, most particularly in the Far East.
The movement plate is bearing the hallmark of the celebrated Frères Rochat, acknowledged masters in the making of these complex mechanisms. The sumptuous case was made in the workshop of the celebrated Jean-Georges Rémond in Geneva, and last but not least the superb quality of the enamel decoration illustrates the celebrated art of enamel miniatures originating from Geneva in the early 19th century. It was not unusual during that period that an artist would sign his work.
The manufacture of singing bird boxes required outstanding skills and artistry, making them accessible only to the chosen few. Those boxes appearing in public to date and particularly preserved in such attractive overall condition as the present example must be counted amongst the greatest rarities in the world of horology.
Since the exhibition in New York in 1950, the present box has, to the best of our knowledge, appeared only once again in public: at auction in 1997 when it was purchased by the present owner, an important private collector - a fact further contributing to its exclusivity.
Les Frères Rochat
The brothers François-Elisée, Frédéric and Samuel-Henri Rochat were active in Geneva from around 1800 to 1835. Apprenticed by their father Pierre Rochat in Brassus, they worked as watchmakers for Jaquet-Droz et Leschot before moving to Geneva in order to set up their own business. The highly talented brothers quickly joined the illustrious elite of the greatest makers of the highly complex singing bird mechanisms and automaton watches which they supplied also to other manufacturers, notably Jaquet-Droz et Leschot. The Rochats were famous for their perfection of the singing bird mechanism by adding larger amounts of cams, hence rendering the bird's movements more natural, and for the enhancing of the quality of the sound by using piston rods.
Their work was often decorated with painted enamel scenes, pearls and precious stones and comprised watches, three colour gold snuff boxes, automatons and others, the enamel miniatures often made by celebrated artists such as Isaac Adam, Jean-Abraham Lissignol, Jean-François-Victor Dupont and Jean-Louis Richter. Amongst their most celebrated pieces area pair of pistols with singing birds, a finely decorated bird cage with singing bird, a sumptuous mirror with singing bird, a telescope with watch, musical automaton and singing bird, and a snuff box with watch, musical and singing bird.
A number of their objects can be found in Beijing's Imperial Palace but also in the world's most prestigious museums and private collections, notably the Musée de l'Horlogerie et de l'Emaillerie and the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, the Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Collection, the Sir David Salomons Collection and the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, just to name some. A selection of objects made by Les Frères Rochat, property of the Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Collection, is on permanent exhibition at the Musée de l'Horlogerie du Locle, Switzerland. For illustrations and descriptions of a mirror, a pistol, a bird cage, snuff boxes and a walking stick holder, all with singing bird and signed Frères Rochat see Chefs d'Oeuvres de la Collection Sandoz, Musée de l'Horlogerie du Locle, Château de Monts, Cat. 37 - 38, 41 - 43.
For an extensive biography and history of the Rochat family, their collaboration with Jaquet Droz et Leschot and illustrations of various examples of their work see Flights of Fancy - Mechanical Singing Birds by Sharon & Christian Bailly, pp. 137 & 138, pp. 210 - 259. The present box is prominently illustrated on p. 246 op.cit.
Jean-Georges Rémond (Reymond)
The lavish case is the work of one of Geneva's most celebrated casemakers, Jean-Georges Rémond or Reymond, renowned "monteur de boîtes en or" or maker of gold cases. In 1790 he founded Georges Rémond & Cie., excelling in elaborate gold cases for watches and snuff boxes, often destined for the export to the Orient. Rémond & Cie. worked for Les Frères Rochat, Piguet & Capt, Jaquet-Droz & Leschot and Frisard, the cases often decorated with enamel scenes by Lissignol, Richter, Dupont and others.
The movement plate is bearing the hallmark of the celebrated Frères Rochat, acknowledged masters in the making of these complex mechanisms. The sumptuous case was made in the workshop of the celebrated Jean-Georges Rémond in Geneva, and last but not least the superb quality of the enamel decoration illustrates the celebrated art of enamel miniatures originating from Geneva in the early 19th century. It was not unusual during that period that an artist would sign his work.
The manufacture of singing bird boxes required outstanding skills and artistry, making them accessible only to the chosen few. Those boxes appearing in public to date and particularly preserved in such attractive overall condition as the present example must be counted amongst the greatest rarities in the world of horology.
Since the exhibition in New York in 1950, the present box has, to the best of our knowledge, appeared only once again in public: at auction in 1997 when it was purchased by the present owner, an important private collector - a fact further contributing to its exclusivity.
Les Frères Rochat
The brothers François-Elisée, Frédéric and Samuel-Henri Rochat were active in Geneva from around 1800 to 1835. Apprenticed by their father Pierre Rochat in Brassus, they worked as watchmakers for Jaquet-Droz et Leschot before moving to Geneva in order to set up their own business. The highly talented brothers quickly joined the illustrious elite of the greatest makers of the highly complex singing bird mechanisms and automaton watches which they supplied also to other manufacturers, notably Jaquet-Droz et Leschot. The Rochats were famous for their perfection of the singing bird mechanism by adding larger amounts of cams, hence rendering the bird's movements more natural, and for the enhancing of the quality of the sound by using piston rods.
Their work was often decorated with painted enamel scenes, pearls and precious stones and comprised watches, three colour gold snuff boxes, automatons and others, the enamel miniatures often made by celebrated artists such as Isaac Adam, Jean-Abraham Lissignol, Jean-François-Victor Dupont and Jean-Louis Richter. Amongst their most celebrated pieces area pair of pistols with singing birds, a finely decorated bird cage with singing bird, a sumptuous mirror with singing bird, a telescope with watch, musical automaton and singing bird, and a snuff box with watch, musical and singing bird.
A number of their objects can be found in Beijing's Imperial Palace but also in the world's most prestigious museums and private collections, notably the Musée de l'Horlogerie et de l'Emaillerie and the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, the Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Collection, the Sir David Salomons Collection and the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, just to name some. A selection of objects made by Les Frères Rochat, property of the Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Collection, is on permanent exhibition at the Musée de l'Horlogerie du Locle, Switzerland. For illustrations and descriptions of a mirror, a pistol, a bird cage, snuff boxes and a walking stick holder, all with singing bird and signed Frères Rochat see Chefs d'Oeuvres de la Collection Sandoz, Musée de l'Horlogerie du Locle, Château de Monts, Cat. 37 - 38, 41 - 43.
For an extensive biography and history of the Rochat family, their collaboration with Jaquet Droz et Leschot and illustrations of various examples of their work see Flights of Fancy - Mechanical Singing Birds by Sharon & Christian Bailly, pp. 137 & 138, pp. 210 - 259. The present box is prominently illustrated on p. 246 op.cit.
Jean-Georges Rémond (Reymond)
The lavish case is the work of one of Geneva's most celebrated casemakers, Jean-Georges Rémond or Reymond, renowned "monteur de boîtes en or" or maker of gold cases. In 1790 he founded Georges Rémond & Cie., excelling in elaborate gold cases for watches and snuff boxes, often destined for the export to the Orient. Rémond & Cie. worked for Les Frères Rochat, Piguet & Capt, Jaquet-Droz & Leschot and Frisard, the cases often decorated with enamel scenes by Lissignol, Richter, Dupont and others.