Georges Rémond & Compagnie, Geneve: An important early 19th century three-colour gold singing-bird box with seperate watch and musical mechanism

Details

Georges Rémond & Compagnie, Geneve: An important early 19th century three-colour gold singing-bird box with seperate watch and musical mechanism
The case: yellow gold box with engine-turned hatched pink panels to each surface, the top and bottom panels with three-colour gold decorations of urns, dolphins, roses and floral scrolls on matt yellow background, the sides and corners with yellow chased, engraved and highlighted floral decorations, the front panel containing a watch with highlighted wheatear engraving to the bezel, white enamel dial with Roman numerals and sweep centre-seconds, hinged to reveal the winding arbors for the bird, watch and musical movements, a hinged side panel containing the key, the fine enamelled oval lid depicting the leave-taking of a young nobleman from possibly his sister, with raised and highlighted floral decoration on matt yellow background to the bezel, hinged to reveal the singing bird operated by a slide in the rear panel turning on its axis, flapping its wings, wagging its tail, opening its beak and turning its head, the case stamped in the key compartment and inside the case with the mark of the casemaker Georges Rémond & Compagnie, with original red leather presentation box and key
95mm.x 59mm.x 24mm.
The singing bird movement: The high quality gilt brass chain fusee movement with polished steel levers and blued steel screws, eight operating cams and circular bellows
The musical movement: The brass movement playing at will mounted on a plate behind the hinged front panel with the spring contained in the pin-barrel with two banks of eight seperate tuned teeth
The watch movement: Mounted on the same plate as the musical movement with going-barrel, cylinder escapement and unusual layout to drive the hands in the centre with sweep centre seconds

Provenance

Caroline Lady Clonbrock (1805-1864), the Granddaughter of the 4th Duke of Marlborogh. Given to her by her uncle, the 5th Duke of Marlborough, and thence by descent.

Literature

Automata, Chapuis & Droz, Neuchatel, translation by Alec Reid, B.T.Batsford, Ltd, London, pages 193-221.

Lot Essay

The case marks are those of Georges Rémond & Compagnie during the liaison of Rémond, Lamy, Mercier & Compagnie ca. 1805-1815. The movement is unmarked but is, in all probability, the work of Freres Rochat, Geneva. They established their own company ca.1810 but unsigned examples of their work in association with George Rémond prior to that date are known. See lot 348, Sale of Important Automata, Pocket and Wristwatches, Christie's Geneva, 15 November 1989

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