Chapter 6 Expanded tune sheets Top: 4 hanging festoons Maker: Conchon (?) (with a small star on the maker's mark)
[1] Mandoline, [1] Mandoline
[2] Interchangeable 8 cyl., 5 sect. comb
A rare lever wind interchangeable orchestrion with integral two-drawer stand, attributed to B.A. Bermond of Geneva, circa 1880, the orchestrion playing on an organ, drum, four bells with Mandarin automaton strikers, and castanets, the eight pinned cylinders measuring 43.5 cm (17 1/8 ins) long, the five-section comb divided with 8, 38, 24, 32, and 12 teeth, housed in a walnut and ebonised veneered case with rosewood crossbanding, two drawers below and a pair of cast brass carrying handles, raised on cabriole supports with ceramic casters, underside of lid with two contemporary calligraphic labels listing the music on each cylinder, within printed borders (one including the words 'Fabrique de Genève'), a further similar manuscript musical listing present relating to a nine cylinder musical box, with large British royal armorial engraved by Charles Orsat (damaged), case with minor loss of veneer and moulding, and some worm holes, 120 cm high x 120 cm wide x 63 cm deep
Timbres Tambour Castagnettes GRAND Format N° 106
N° 1911
The table base with a frieze drawer fitted with eight different musical cylinders. In excellent cosmetic and working condition. This multi-instrument music box is an absolutely breathtaking example of late 19th C Swiss craftsmanship of the first order. This ornate example, which includes an organ, drum, castanets, bells and its musical combs, comes with a total of eight separate cylinders - with eight songs each - for a total of 64 tunes. The cylinders are stored in the drawer of its matching burlwood and marquetry inlaid table base. This would have been one of the most expensive Swiss music boxes available in its day, and is the finest example of a late 19th Century music box we have yet offered.
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