Rmond. A fine and rare 18K gold, enamel and pearl-set musical and singing bird box

STAMPED GRC FOR JEAN-GEORGES RMOND, THE MOVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO FRRES ROCHAT, GENEVA, CIRCA 1814

Details

Rmond. A fine and rare 18K gold, enamel and pearl-set musical and singing bird box
Stamped GRC for Jean-Georges Rmond, the movement attributed to Frres Rochat, Geneva, circa 1814
The box of rectangular form, the oval lid framed by pearls and decorated with a painted polychrome scene depicting Geography, opened by a slide in the front revealing a singing bird rotating on its axis and wagging its tail, the music activated by a slide in the side, the translucent blue guilloch enamel hinged cover with blue and white champlev enamel floral and foliage decorated border, opened to reveal an engine-turned gold panel with the keyhole for the bird movement, translucent blue guilloch enamel sides and base, a hinged panel to one side opened to reveal the key compartment, the keyhole and activating slide for the musical movement to the other side, the corners decorated with gold leaves on black enamel, the case stamped with maker's mark GRC in a horizontal lozenge, the movement with maker's mark FR, spring signed J.H. Marchand
96 mm. wide

Exhibited

Victoria and Albert Museum

Lot Essay

The box bears several repair marks to the mechanism: the first in Russia in 1818, the next by Gebhard of Vienna in 1928 and the last by Ren Droz at Colombier. The spring is signed by J.H. Marchand who is probably the same person as Jean-Henri Marchand, faiseur de ressorts, recorded in the Archives of the City of Geneva as having been received into the Bourgeoisie of the town on 18 April 1791.

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