AN IMPORTANT SWISS NECESSAIRE WITH SINGING BIRD AUTOMATON AND TWIN MUSICAL MOVEMENTS, by Frères Rochat, Geneva, circa 1825, stamped with the initials F.R. within an oval punch on the movement, the implements with restricted warranty mark for gold, Paris, 1819-1839

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN

Details

AN IMPORTANT SWISS NECESSAIRE WITH SINGING BIRD AUTOMATON AND TWIN MUSICAL MOVEMENTS, by Frères Rochat, Geneva, circa 1825, stamped with the initials F.R. within an oval punch on the movement, the implements with restricted warranty mark for gold, Paris, 1819-1839

Necessaire: an oblong gilt-metal mounted mother-of-pearl case on four hoof feet, the walls and raised cover with panels of mother-of-pearl engraved with bands of anthemion, flowers and foliage within gilt-metal mounts chased with flowers and beads and with rams heads and floral husk handles, the cover with applied scroll pierced gallery and centred by a gold hinged flap finely chased with flowers
10in. (25.5cm.) wide

Interior: the French vari-coloured gold implements chased with flowers and foliage and fitted in a velvet-lined tray, comprising: a pair of scissors, needle case, pencil, pen-knife, thimble, bodkin, two thread-bobbins, ribbon-needle, cut-glass scent-bottle and a seal, covered by an embroidered cream silk cushion, the gilt-metal cylindrical singing bird movement prominently rising in the centre, the velvet-lined cover set with a mirror

Movements: the partially feathered singing bird activated by signed chain fusée movement, three cams governing the bird to flap it wings, open its beak, turn its head, move its tail and rotate on its axis, the bird's song operated by eight cams, two additional barrels power the smooth opening and closing of the lid and the bird's rising and descending; two further movements, each playing two different tunes on revolving pinned cylinders and controlled by flies, operated by slides changing the tunes by separate buttons

Outer case: the oblong brass-inlaid mahogany case decorated with flowers, acanthus and foliage, the recessed bracket handles engraved with foliage and leaf capitals, the cover inlaid with a brass cartouche engraved with a coat-of-arms; the interior coffering inlaid with further anthemion, foliage and cornucopia decoration, the front and sides hinged to release enclosed tightly fitted necessaire

The arms are probably those of Cochrane impaling another

Provenance

Mrs. Caroline M. Ramsden Roe

Lot Essay

Amy Napoléon and Louis Rochat of Le Brassus in the Vallée de Joux, Canton of Vaud, started their career working for Jean-Frédéric Leschot of Geneva and set up their own business about 1810. They manufactured mechanical birds of outstanding quality, incorporating these movements into new and often unexpected objects. The Frères Rochat thus created pieces of unprecedented luxury, such as bird cages, gold pistols or work boxes in their incomparable technique.

An almost identical necessaire is in the H. Wilsdorf collection, Geneva, made for H.R.H. Princess Marie Clothilda of Savoy. One of its musical movements is signed by H. Capt & F. Nicole. and plays two melodies by Mozart and two tunes of the Barber of Seville (cf. P. F. Schneeberger, Collection Hans Wilsdorf, Geneva, p.46f., no. 73 & Alfred Chapuis, Histoire de la Boite à Musique et de la Musique Mécanique, Lausanne, 1955, p. 168, colour plate opp. p. 178)

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