An extremely rare and important fine gold, enamel and pearl-set perfume-sprayer automaton pistol,

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Fine Musical and Automata Vertue

Details

An extremely rare and important fine gold, enamel and pearl-set perfume-sprayer automaton pistol,

Swiss, most probably by Mouliniè et Bautte or Bautte et Moynier, circa 1805,

The gilt brass cylinder movement with plain tri-spoke brass balance and feather-tooled escapement fork, the dial with black Breguet numerals on white enamel ground, concealed behind circular cover at the end of the handle, opening on secret button, the movement also enclosed with similar cover of deep scarlet enamel over engine turned decoration, the edges and centres set with split pearls, continuing further up the pistol grip with arcs of engine turning beneath the scarlet enamel to the sides, underside and top, all edged with split pearls and a small gold loop for chain on timepiece underside, pierced and tooled flint strike with square onyx hammer and mask detail on the top, the lower barrel sides with plaques depicting a recumbent dog on one side and a hare on the other, surrounded with a black enamel and further split pearl border, above tooled straight trigger, the barrel in deep blue with paillonne and laurel gold decoration emanating from the ends and the scent shot out from the barrel when the trigger is depressed and the hammer is struck, issuing from a cone rose, opening with six gold and white and red enamel lotus petals, sprung from the action and reset with barrel slide after hammer is lifted -4 5/16in. (11cm) long when closed

Provenance

Lot 591, The Palace Collections of Egypt - The Highly Important Collection of Works of Art in Precious Materials - Property from the Collection of King Farouk, Sotheby & Co, Cairo, 10 March 1954

Most likely part of the Sandberg Collection until circa 1995

Literature

Very similar timepiece automaton pistol in Collection Hans Wilsdorf, Geneva, P. F. Schneeberger, 1970, p.51

Montres de Fantaisie, O. Patrizzi and F. Sturn, Geneva, 1979 - dust jacket cover shot and pl.26

Watches and Clocks in the Sir David Salomons Collection, Tel Aviv, 1980, p.154-155

Musèe de I'Horlogerie et de L'Emaillerie - from the collection of M. and E. M. Sandoz; illustrated in C. Cardinal La Montre des origines au XIX siecle, Fribourg, 1985, p.205; and M. and E. M. Sandoz, Collections Montres Automates, Le Locle, p.177

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Rochat produced similar examples which housed a singing bird, instead of a perfume-sprayer cone.

This perfume-sprayer pistol is thought to be one of just 14 single pieces known.

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