Lot 201

Jacques Bruguier

An exquisite gold enamel singing bird automaton with winding key

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The rectangular 18 K gold body of the automaton has rounded corners and is a typical Bruguier design. All sides are elaborately decorated with an exquisite guilloché pattern and engraved acanthus leaves and roses. When the movement is wound and the slider for the automaton is pushed to the right, the oval enamel cover on the top of the box opens. It features translucent cobalt blue enamelling and a central bouquet of flowers set in white gold and studded with diamonds. When the cover opens, a rotating bird rises from a gilt and pierced grille. The chirping bird flutters its wings, bobs its tail, turns its head and opens its beak. The bird’s multi-coloured feathers create a dazzling picture of bright red, sea-blue and emerald green hues with fine iridescent highlights.

Jacques Bruguier (1801-1873) married Jacqueline, the daughter of renowned singing bird box maker Charles Abraham Bruguier, on January 13, 1853 and had his workshop at the Rue des Pâquis in Geneva. One can assume from the identical names that the two families were related, but this is not known for certain. Jacques Bruguier's parents were clockmaker Jean-Abraham Bruguier and his wife Rose Lamon and he was born in June 1801 in Geneva, which was French territory at the time - the city had just been annexed by the new French Republic. Jean-Abraham took his family to the Ardèche region of France, but Jacques later returned to Geneva. He began working as a mechanic for Charles-Abraham Bruguier and was living with him at Grand Pré by 1852; at the time his future wife Jacqueline was also working for her father, pinning music box cylinders. By the time Jacques and Jacqueline married, Jacques was already over 50 years old and Jacqueline was close to 40. Nevertheless the couple had two children, Jacques Alexandre and Abrahamine Charlotte Françoise. Jacques and Jacqueline Bruguier lived at Place de la Madeleine 166 from 1853 to 1861. Jacques Bruguier moved to 14, Rue du Cendrier in 1867. He died on October 7, 1873.
Source: "Flights of Fancy" by Sharon and Christian Bailly, Antiquorum Editions, 2001, p. 280