BY JACOB FRISARD (1753-1812), SIGNED UNDER THE HINGED LOWER CENTRAL FOLIAGE, GENEVA, CIRCA 1800, RUBBED MARKS

Details

AN IMPORTANT SWISS SPLIT-PEARL SET AND ENAMELLED GOLD BIRD BOX
by Jacob Frisard (1753-1812), signed under the hinged lower central foliage, Geneva, circa 1800, rubbed marks
Oval box in the form of a basket, the base enamelled with a bouquet of peonies and other spring flowers bordered by split-pearls and with split-pearls radiating over a blue guilloché ground, opening to form a shallow box, the walls similarly decorated with pearls and enamel between reed-and-tie champlevé borders, the domed lid likewise decorated and with a plaque depicting fruit, with two independent split-pearl set ring handles, the interior with a bird seated on a sculpted berried gold spray over painted further fruit and flowers, bordered by a sculpted and green enamelled gold wreath of ivy, the interior of the lid painted with a lakeside landscape, the centre of the rear side with a string with pearl finial when pulled releasing the mechanism of the colourfully plumed bird flapping its wings, moving its tail and opening its beak
3 3/8 in. (86 mm.) wide

Exhibited

London, Christie's, The Glory of the Goldsmith, 1989, no. 187, illustrated in colour p. 237.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

An almost identical bird box, with differences in the pull-piece and on the lid, is illustrated in Collection de Montres et automates Maurice et Edouard M. Sandoz, Le Locle, 1973, no. 99, pp. 190-191.
Jacob Frisard worked with Jaquet-Droz & Leschot in Geneva, and later with Henry Maillardet in London. He specialised in mechanical and musical artefacts such as automata-watches, musical boxes, singing-bird boxes, singing-bird cages, singing-bird cane handles and carillon boxes. His markets included England, Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, India and China. Frisard organised an exhibition of his works in Zurich in 1809. He died during a journey between Constantinople and Geneva.

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