Musical and Automata Objects of Vertu The Private Collection of Dr. Frank and Mrs. Lore Metzger (lots 465 to 489) In 1967, before returning home from yet another long business trip away from his young family, Frank Metzger was looking around Buenos Aires for a suitable present to bring to his wife and two small children. In an antique shop on the Calle Florida he found a music box and determined then and there that it would be his ?coming home? present. That present was well received by Lore, Frank?s wife and soon the two were embarked on a new hobby, collecting mechanical music. Through a fortunate happenstance, they met Ruth Bornand, the doyen of American music box dealers, who happened to ask Frank if he had any interest in miniature mechanical music. Knowing little about it but afraid to say no he said ?yes? whereupon Mrs. Bornand pulled out about 50 defective antique miniature musical movements and said ?If you can make 2 or 3 of these run you can keep the rest for yourself?. Frank, who had been trained as a machinist before he took up his profession as an industrial psychologist, fixed 7 of the defective movements for Mrs. Bornand and from the remainder had the spare parts necessary to repair the many miniature musical movements that came his way for restoration over a period of more than 30 years. Mrs. Bornand was also instrumental in introducing the Metzgers to the Musical Box Society International, the largest group in the world devoted to the dissemination of knowledge about mechanical music. Here, Frank, a frequent lecturer and contributor of articles about miniature mechanical music, eventually became president of the organization, a post he held from 1995 to 1997. He continues to serve the MBSI as a trustee advisor and will give a major lecture in August, at the MBSI?s annual meeting, on the subject of mechanical pipe organs. Early on, the Metzgers had decided that their collecting would go in two directions: They would seek out fine examples of mechanical music in conventional sizes (an endeavor that continues to hold their interest) and they would specialize in the restoration and the collection of objects of vertu containing music and automata such as snuff boxes with music, bird boxes, vinaigrettes with music and similar items. Over the years, the Metzgers bought and sold more than 650 of such pieces, and little by little added the best that came their way to their private collection. In this sale there are 25 of these small, precious pieces from this collection. Included are gold and enamel bird boxes (one with music) featured in Sharon and Christian Bailly?s book, ?Flights of Fancy?, an extremely rare musical and automata ring, a fine gold, enamel, pearl and diamond musical harp with a secret opening method and other, similarly rare, objects of vertu. All of them are pristine, fully operational and of museum quality. The Metzgers wish is that these beautiful pieces that they have had the privilege and pleasure of owning for a little while, will find new homes where their beauty and craftsmanship can be admired and their pristine condition maintained for the next generation of enthusiastic collectors.