Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 35

The Hunt. Attributed to Piguet & Capt, Geneva, case by "SN", made for the Chinese market, circa 1805. Magnificent and extremely rare 18K gold and enamel, pearl-set musical spyglass with concealed automaton scene and built-in watch, made for the Chinese market.

CHF 250,000 - 300,000

EUR 163,000 - 195,000

Sold: CHF 333,500

C. Fully operational spyglass with two concentric sliding cylinders, an eyepiece and lenses. The eyepiece and neck with a foliate pattern of blue, white and black champlevé enamel. The two cylinders are decorated with the same pattern of crosshatched azure and white enamel lines forming a geometrical pattern of black enamel and engraved gold rhomboids, the upper and lower edges set with half pearls. The inner cylinder can be rotated, revealing either the automaton or the watch. The automaton represents hunters on horseback revolving against an enameled panel depicting a house in the woods with an animated waterfall. D. White enamel, Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions with fifteen-minute Arabic markers. Gilt "cathedral" hands. M. 18.3 mm. (8 1/4'''), circular, gilt brass full plate, cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, 3-arm brass balance, continental gilt cock, rack and pinion regulator with silver plate. Musical and automaton movement: gilt brass barillet type driven from a fixed barrel, six-wheel train (the second wheel is the pinned drum) finished with a pinion governor set in an adjustable, eccentric bushing, six stacked blued steel tuned teeth, the merry-go-round is driven from the contrate teeth of the second train wheel (double wheel).Dim. 48 mm, length 90 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3 - 21*
Dial: 3 - 19 - 05

Notes

Small and precious objects de vertu, finely decorated with champlevé enamel and embellished with delicate automaton scenes and music, were among the most extraordinary "pièces de résistance" produced by the incomparable artisans working in Geneva during the early 19th century. Among all the princely toys created by these master craftsmen -- the singing bird pistols, watches, tabatières, urns and mirror, the snuffboxes with music and varicolored gold automaton scenes, to name just a few of them - the spyglass is the one instrument that could claim to be "useful" as well. This is largely pretense, for who would dream of demanding scientific precision of such an extraordinarily beautiful object? In any case, whether you examine the world through the spyglass lens or enjoy the charming automaton scene which is a world all to itself, the pleasure is in the beholding. The champlevé enameled cylindrical panels of the spyglass slide open to reveal the miniature automaton scene: horseback riders charging gaily through a painted-on-enamel wood. The effect is that of a curtain going up. Watching it, one realizes that Shakespeare was right. All the world, especially this clockwork world, is a stage, and all the men and women who inhabit it, merely players. Their exits and entrances are strictly governed by a series of wheels and levers. They play their parts endlessly, with seemingly great delight -- and we delight in watching them do so.There are only a few of these magnificent revolving automata spyglasses known. Until now, no pair was known to have survived. Originally, they were all made in pairs, as was requested by the Chinese Emperors and Mandarins, the elite wealthy enough to be able to afford them. We are very proud to present this one which is the matching pendant piece to the one previously in the Lord Sandberg Collection (Antiquorum, March 31, 2001, No. 320). The two pieces form a true pair. The case was made by the same superbly skilled maker who made the magnificent and very unusual musical box, lot No. 39.