Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 95

Miniature Musical Cabinets. James Cox, London, 1770, made for the Chinese market circa. Magnificent and extremely rare pair of miniature cabinets of gold-mounted striated agate, set with coral and fitted with a clockwatch with Chinese numerals and a carillon playing two tunes on 12 hammers and 6 bells.

C. With curved sides and a dome for the clock, made of agate striated in white and painted red on the reverse, mounted in gold repoussé in floral, foliate and scrolling patterns, front and back with pair of hinged doors, front revealing the carillon movement, the back a reverse glass painting depicting on one a Chinese lady sitting at a table, on the other a Chinese lady with her dog in a mountain landscape, with a mirror as a background, four finials terminated with coral balls, en suite dome fitted with a clock having hinged gold back door, surmounted by a finial with small mirrors on three of its four sides and mounted in gilded repoussé, curved feet in gilded repoussé, lever at the left side for tune changing. D. White enamel with radial Chinese characters, outer minute dot divisions with five-minute Chinese markers, winding apertures for going and striking train. Diamond-set hands.M. Rectangular with canted top corners, 66 x 47 mm, brass, going barrels, verge escapement, small pendulum fixed to the verge, adjustable potence, striking every hour on a bell mounted inside back door, fly governor.Carillon movement. Following the shape of the case, brass, reversed fusee and chain, 6-wheel train (counting fusee), fly governor, pinned cylinder driven off the 2nd wheel lifting 12 brass hammers striking a nest of 6 concentrically mounted bells, activated by pulling a cord at the lower left side.Signed on the dials.Dim. Height 31 cm, width 11.5 cm