43* THE ONLY KNOWN THREE-TUNE SINGING BIRD CAGE WITH AUTOMATON BIRDS, FOUNTAIN AND BUTTERFLY Swiss, Bautte & Moynier / Jean-David Maillardet / Courvoisier & Cie. / Charles-Frédéric Nardin, 410 x 215 mm, overall size 460 x 320 mm, started circa 1820 and completed circa 1830 A magnificent singing bird cage automaton of museum quality, with two chirping birds jumping between perches, an animated waterfall and a fluttering butterfly, clock and enchanting musical movement playing three different tunes (either on the hour or on demand) Case: gilt bronze, chased and engraved, glass. Dial: silvered, signed, Roman hours, blued Breguet hands. Movm.: rectangular full plate movement, chain/ fusee, verge escapement, three-arm brass balance. Musical movement: heavy brass movement with chain/fusee, pinned barrel and vibrating blades, signed Charles-Frédéric Nardin. Automaton movement: rectangular movement, brass, steel, barrel, chain/fusee, rectangular bellows, piston whistle. This breathtaking masterpiece is the result of supreme Swiss craftsmanship; the impressive installation combines exquisite design with the most advanced clockmaking skills: A lavishly ornamented cage holds two delicate, chirping birds jumping from one perch to another with flapping wings, a butterfly flutters its wings above an animated fountain while a tune plays and the clock displays the time. The case consists of three parts: the plinth with levers for setting and activating the automatons and the music, the base with clock and musical movement, and the singing bird cage automaton. The plinth: Oval, gilt (330 x 230 mm), groove for the missing glass bell-jar. On the right, four levers set the functions: “Silence” (moving the lever to the right prevents activation of the music, moving it to the left allows automatic activation of the music on the hour) - “Musique” (activates the music on demand) - “Meme/Autre” (repeats the same tune again or switches to the next one) - “Musique d’Oiseaux” (activates the singing bird, butterfly and waterfall automatons). A set of rods connects the levers to the controls for activating the music and the automatons. The base with clock and musical movement: The rectangular gilt bronze base rests on four elaborately engraved bun feet. The silvered dial with the Bautte & Moynier signature sits in the middle of the front panel. It features Roman numerals and blued Breguet hands, with a fine engine- turned floral pattern in the centre. The clock face is flanked by applied musical trophies; additional applied vase and star ornaments are shown on the two sides and on the back. A delicate border of leaves and pearls runs around the whole of the base. The clock: The clock movement was probably made by Courvoisier et Cie in La Chaux-de- Fonds (active from 1811 to 1845); it activates the musical movement on the hour. The musical movement: The musical movement signed by Charles-Frédéric Nardin is activated on the hour or on demand. It plays three different tunes which can be selected on a pinned barrel. One of the three tunes was identified as “Der Jägerchor” (The Hunters’ Choir) from the opera “Der Freischütz” by Carl Maria Von Weber (1786- 1826). The birdcage: A rectangular, domed gilt bronze cage resides on a rectangular base with chamfered corners and claw feet. Front and back panels of the base are decorated with applied motifs of leaves and rose petals, the sides with applied laurel leaves. The intricately worked grille panels composed of balusters, ovals and circles are framed by four corner columns which support the cage with the openwork dome. The dome is made of curved poles, acanthus and C- volutes and a lyre motif frieze; on the very top sits a matching urn finial. The automaton: The automaton consists of two singing birds with a dazzling, colourful plumage of hummingbird feathers and a butterfly with hand-painted, iridescent wings near a fountain. When the mechanism has been wound and the slider activates the automaton, the birds start chirping and moving to and fro with fluttering wings and tails. Their beaks open and close while they apparently jump from one perch to the other. In the centre of the arrangement sits a fountain spouting a jet of water towards the sky, which is simulated by seven twisted, revolving glass rods. On top of the rods rests a gilt bronze bud finial with a butterfly flapping its wings above the running water. The movement driving the automatons sits in the bottom of the cage. The brass and steel mechanism is fitted with chain/fusee, bellows and sliding piston. The panel to the right of the base holds the winding square. The automatons for the birds are hidden in two of the four columns of the cage. Part of this mechanism is a large cam which activates levers on three different axles; several small cams are mounted on its shaft. The plates hold a large, rectangular bellows with a piston whistle attached at its end, carefully mimicking birdsong – here it is the chirping of a canary and the call of the nightingale. This mechanism can be attributed to Jean-David Maillardet (1748-1834) of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Provenance: - Collection Guido Reuge († 1994), Sainte-Croix, Vaud, Switzerland - Private Collection, Switzerland Literature: Kerman-Bailly, Sharon, & Bailly, Christian, “Oiseaux de Bonheur, Tabatières et Automates”, Genève, Antiquorum Editions, 2001, pp. 197-198. Condition: The object itself as well as the different mechanisms were thoroughly cleaned in 2015. The damaged butterfly was put back into position above the fountain. In respect of the monumental design and the technical sophistication of this masterpiece, it is assumed that it was created to be presented at one of the universal exhibitions. This singing bird cage automaton was made between 1780 and 1840 and is a typical example of the automatons produced in Geneva. It is the result of a cooperation between the best artisan craftsmen and the most skilled watchmakers of the time: The musical movement was made by Charles-Frederic Nardin, the cage itself was most likely designed by Courvoisier & Cie.; the