Antiquorum in Love, Impotant Horology...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Nov 16, 1997

LOT 50

Unsigned, (Geneve) attributable to Piguet & Capt, circa 1810. "Musique de chambre" Extremely fine and unique, 18K gold and enamel musical snuff box with two automaton scenes and a built-in watch with special escapement. The central enamel panel painted in the manner of Dupont. Accompanied by the original red flinque enamelled key.

C. Four body, oblong, the rounded end hinged lids with blue flinque enamel, the borders with black champleve enamel decoration; the rectangular central hinged enamel panel decorated with the scene: "The Alliance between Love and Wine" after the painting of 1744 by J. M. Nattier (1685-1766), engraved by F. Joullain in 1751. Blue flinque enamel band with white and azure champleve enamelled borders and four white, black and azure motives. The base decorated en suite with hinged central panel. The top central enamel lid discloses an enamel automaton scene of an innocent musician's quartet, together with the dials of the watch. The hinged central lid of the base, opens to reveal an enamelled erotic automaton scene, which depicts the same quartet though playing a rather different tune. D. Small eccentric white enamel with Roman numerals and symmetrical subsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. Square gilt brass full plate double train, the going train with fixed barrel with revolving arbor, virgule escapement, plain brass threearm balance countersunk on the back plate, blued steel balance spring with regulator. Pin drum musical train with six pairs of stacked steel blades, the pin drum passing through the back plate and driving, by means of cams and levers, the six different movements of the automata in the innocent scene and the five movements of the automata in the erotic scene. Dim. 129 x 46 x 19 mm.