A rare and beautiful silver gilt, blue guilloche enamel and ivory singing bird box embellished with fine details of an exquisite workmanship. The box stands upon silver and enamel cabriole legs and the singing bird box is in the shape of a cabinet with canted corners on which are applied silver motifs. The base is decorated with silver gilt pierced freize. Each side has an ivory cameo with a bust of a woman beautifully carved and within a silver gilt frame. The front of the cabinet with pull up panel with silver gilt mounts, the back and the top with full panels of iridescent blue guilloche enamel bordered with white enamel lines. On top of the cabinet stands a silver gilt bird cage with a ruby handle. Within the cage the bird sings, moves from left to right and flaps his wings on pulling a silver lever within the pull up panel. This is a German experimental piece by Karl Griesbaum himself. So expensive to make it never went into production. The movement is of a far higher calibre than the run of the mill Griesbaum movements. Circa 1920. 8.5 inches high by 4.25 inches wide by 2.5 inches deep ( 20 cms by 10.5 cms by 6.25 cms).
Gavin Douglas
CC BY-SA 3.0
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