Frères Rochat & Rémond, Lamy, Mercier & Co., Genève

A MAGNIFICENT AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE MINIATURE GOLD, ENAMEL AND DIAMOND-SET HOUR STRIKING MUSICAL DOUBLE SINGING BIRD CAGE WITH TIMEPIECE CIRCA 1815

• Movements: Time - gilded full plate, two train, cylinder escapement, plain brass balance, fusee and chain, nest of two bells striking on the hour, the bells each scratch signed Scherer Frères • Bird - the mechanism for the bird with one pair of bellows and two pistons, 16 operating cams, 8 for controlling the song and 8 for regulating the whistle, released on the hour by the clock train or on demand via a lever to the case, the birds moving and singing alternately, one moving its wings, tail, head and beak, the other with similar movements and additionally performing a pecking motion, musical barrel with 11 tines to the comb, the base scratch signed to the underside: "Fait à Genève chez Remond Lamy Mercier & Co., Fabricants de Bijouterie par Louis St****", the backplate for the singing bird mechanism stamped twice with maker's mark F.R. for Frères Rochat
• Dial: white enamel, Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute ring
• Case: gold cage, octagonal base raised on 4 paw-form feet, the base with pearl-set border, blue guilloché enamel panels to each corner surrounded by opaque white enamel borders, the sides with polychrome enamel painted panels depicting summer flowers against a green background, the dial set within a gold panel surrounded by a diamond-set bezel and flanked by military trophies, the panel sliding to reveal apertures for winding, hand-setting and regulation, the cage of alternating polished gold and wire-wound bars and hinged door supported by four columns of striated blue champlevé enamel with Corinthian gold capitals and bases of simulated marble ground of black and white enamel, the capitals supporting pearl-set urns each within niches set with turquoises, the canopy of decorative gold scrolling wire work with pearl-set ribbed supports, ball finial and ring suspension
• Accompaniments: fitted mahogany case and a key
height 215mm

Provenance:
Christie's Geneva, 11 November 1987, lot 235