95th Auction
2017/5/6
Lot 128
Jacques Bruguier à Genève, Movement No. 280, 85 x 56 x 34 mm, 314 g, circa 1870
An exquisite silver and enamel singing bird box of superior quality, with original case
Case: silver, gilt, rectangular box with rounded corners, typical Bruguier design. The top part is decorated with opaque light blue enameling and engraved geometric patterns, fine leaf tendrils and black enamel. In the centre sits a painted oval enamel medallion showing an alpine lake scene with a sailing boat and a farm building, a high snow-covered mountain in the background. The sides are decorated with engine-turned pattern and engraved stylized flowers which are partly enameled in blue. The base is also decorated with engine-turned pattern and ornamented with black enamel leaf tendrils. The front has a central slider for releasing the automaton with a feathered bird in front of an open work engraved gilt panel. In the back a panel opens to conceal the key. Automaton movement: rectangular form movement, full plate, round pillars, chain/fusee, bellows. The multi-coloured bird moves to the left and to the right, moves its head, opens and closes its beak and moves its wings and the tail.
Jacques Bruguier (1801-1873)
Jacques Bruguier 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, Geneva 2001, p. 280.
An exquisite silver and enamel singing bird box of superior quality, with original case
Case: silver, gilt, rectangular box with rounded corners, typical Bruguier design. The top part is decorated with opaque light blue enameling and engraved geometric patterns, fine leaf tendrils and black enamel. In the centre sits a painted oval enamel medallion showing an alpine lake scene with a sailing boat and a farm building, a high snow-covered mountain in the background. The sides are decorated with engine-turned pattern and engraved stylized flowers which are partly enameled in blue. The base is also decorated with engine-turned pattern and ornamented with black enamel leaf tendrils. The front has a central slider for releasing the automaton with a feathered bird in front of an open work engraved gilt panel. In the back a panel opens to conceal the key. Automaton movement: rectangular form movement, full plate, round pillars, chain/fusee, bellows. The multi-coloured bird moves to the left and to the right, moves its head, opens and closes its beak and moves its wings and the tail.
Jacques Bruguier (1801-1873)
Jacques Bruguier 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, Geneva 2001, p. 280.
Sold
estimated
45.000—60.000 €
Price realized
47.200 €