98th Auction
2018/11/10
Lot 92
Patek Philippe & Co. à Genève / Attributed to Charles Abraham II Bruguier à Genève, Case No. 1293, 97 x 65 x 33 mm, 331 g, circa 1865
An extremely rare singing bird box with original leather case
Case: tortoiseshell/gold enamel/gilt brass. Automaton mechanism: rectangular, full-plate, bellows, going barrel, chain/fusee.
When the movement is wound and the slider starting the automaton has been pushed to the right, the fine florally engraved gilded silver lid opens and a rotating and chirping bird rises with fluttering wings, turning head and opening beak.
The bird has multi-coloured feathers that are bright red, sea-blue and emerald green and have been perfectly accented with iridescent highlights. The bird rises from a gilded lattice floor.
The well preserved tortoiseshell case imparts a marvellous resonant sound. The back has a little comparment with a folding lid for the key – this is an extremely rare singing bird box of outstanding quality.
Charles-Abraham Bruguier the Elder (1788-1862) was born in Geneva on January 5, 1788, the son of a clockmaker who would later become a clockmaker himself. Bruguier and his family went to London in 1815 and lived there for a number of years. Two of Bruguiers children were born in London, Charles-Abraham in 1818 and Louise in 1821. Around 1823 the family returned to their native Geneva and settled in the Rue de Coutance 87, where the fourth child Judith was born in 1825. Charles-Abraham presumably created his first singing birds sometime after the return to Geneva. He travelled to the town of Sainte-Suzanne near Montbéliard in France between 1833 and 1837 to work at the Paur music-box manufactory (which later became the L'Epée factory). In 1837 Bruguier and his family returned to Geneva again, where they first lived in the Rue du Cendrier 121 for about a year and then moved to the Rue Coutance 75. Bruguier the Elder bought some property in Grand-Pré (north of Geneva) around 1843 and moved his workshop there. He died in June 1862 at the age of 74. His son, Charles Abraham II Bruguier (1818-1891) was born in London because his father worked there at the time. He is mentioned in the 1843 records of Geneva as working in the Terreaux de Chantepoulet street. Ami Rochat lived and worked in this same street - they were therefore neighbours for a while. Bruguier later moved to the Rue Rousseau, to the Rue Sismondi and then to the Rue des Pâquis. Charles-Abraham the younger manufactured singing bird boxes which were similar to those his father created.
The Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva owns a gold and enamel singing bird box with integrated clock signed by Patek Philippe. The singing bird mechanism is almost identical to the one we have here and is attributed to Charles Abraham II Bruguier (see Vol. I, p. 463, inventory no. P-651).
The company Patek Philippe never produced singing bird boxes; they were purchased from suppliers and then finely finished. Only singing bird boxes that were fitted with an extra movement made by Patek Philippe received the company’s serial number and were entered in the records. All others were listed in separate inventory books, which, according to information from the Patek Philippe Museum, are lost.
An extremely rare singing bird box with original leather case
Case: tortoiseshell/gold enamel/gilt brass. Automaton mechanism: rectangular, full-plate, bellows, going barrel, chain/fusee.
When the movement is wound and the slider starting the automaton has been pushed to the right, the fine florally engraved gilded silver lid opens and a rotating and chirping bird rises with fluttering wings, turning head and opening beak.
The bird has multi-coloured feathers that are bright red, sea-blue and emerald green and have been perfectly accented with iridescent highlights. The bird rises from a gilded lattice floor.
The well preserved tortoiseshell case imparts a marvellous resonant sound. The back has a little comparment with a folding lid for the key – this is an extremely rare singing bird box of outstanding quality.
Charles-Abraham Bruguier the Elder (1788-1862) was born in Geneva on January 5, 1788, the son of a clockmaker who would later become a clockmaker himself. Bruguier and his family went to London in 1815 and lived there for a number of years. Two of Bruguiers children were born in London, Charles-Abraham in 1818 and Louise in 1821. Around 1823 the family returned to their native Geneva and settled in the Rue de Coutance 87, where the fourth child Judith was born in 1825. Charles-Abraham presumably created his first singing birds sometime after the return to Geneva. He travelled to the town of Sainte-Suzanne near Montbéliard in France between 1833 and 1837 to work at the Paur music-box manufactory (which later became the L'Epée factory). In 1837 Bruguier and his family returned to Geneva again, where they first lived in the Rue du Cendrier 121 for about a year and then moved to the Rue Coutance 75. Bruguier the Elder bought some property in Grand-Pré (north of Geneva) around 1843 and moved his workshop there. He died in June 1862 at the age of 74. His son, Charles Abraham II Bruguier (1818-1891) was born in London because his father worked there at the time. He is mentioned in the 1843 records of Geneva as working in the Terreaux de Chantepoulet street. Ami Rochat lived and worked in this same street - they were therefore neighbours for a while. Bruguier later moved to the Rue Rousseau, to the Rue Sismondi and then to the Rue des Pâquis. Charles-Abraham the younger manufactured singing bird boxes which were similar to those his father created.
The Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva owns a gold and enamel singing bird box with integrated clock signed by Patek Philippe. The singing bird mechanism is almost identical to the one we have here and is attributed to Charles Abraham II Bruguier (see Vol. I, p. 463, inventory no. P-651).
The company Patek Philippe never produced singing bird boxes; they were purchased from suppliers and then finely finished. Only singing bird boxes that were fitted with an extra movement made by Patek Philippe received the company’s serial number and were entered in the records. All others were listed in separate inventory books, which, according to information from the Patek Philippe Museum, are lost.
estimated
36.000—50.000 €
Price realized
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