Blaise Bontems, an Extremely Fine & Rare Automaton Double Singing Bird Music Box
Blaise Bontems, an extremely fine and rare automaton double singing bird music box, in the form of a Porcelain Jardinière, 1870-1880, Paris. Bird with turquoise plumage, articulated head, beak and tail controlled by going-barrel movement with bellows and whistle for birdsong, sits atop arrangement of artificial flowers on a perch, when activated its head swivels, flaps its tail and moves its beak, second bird sits in nest. Mounted in an extremely fine hand-painted porcelain jardiniere, with painted scenes of birds, butterflies and flowers. Porcelain is in very good condition. Movement is sluggish but works. Blaise Bontems (1814 - 1893) was a noted Parisian specialist in the manufacture of automaton singing birds and the first of a dynasty of automaton manufacturers, which included his son Charles Jules and his grandson Lucien. Bontems birds were famous for the realism of their song. Measures: 20" high x 12 wide.
