Reuge Volière de la Cour Singing Birds Automaton Cage, Gilt, Ref. AXO.90.7005.002, Box and Guarantee

Two feathered birds turn, flick their tails and sing inside a gilded cage: the Volière de la Cour automaton from Reuge of Sainte-Croix, complete with its box, guarantee and instructions.

The Piece

The mechanical singing bird was perfected in eighteenth-century Switzerland, when the Jaquet-Droz workshops astonished the courts of Europe with tiny feathered automata that moved and sang by bellows and cams. Reuge, founded in Sainte-Croix in 1865, is the last house still producing these mechanisms by hand, and its singing birds are counted among the most complex objects made in the Swiss watch valleys.

Volière de la Cour, the court aviary, is the house's double-bird cage. Each movement is assembled from more than 250 parts. A red bird perches on a gilded branch above a second bird in yellow and blue, both dressed in natural feathers among green leaves on a midnight velvet ground. When wound, they turn their heads, open their beaks and beat their tails in time with a song produced by a miniature bellows and piston, faithfully imitating birdsong.

The cage, reference AXO.90.7005.002, is finished in gilt with twisted bars, a crowned top ring for hanging and a deep guilloché-style engraved drum base resting on four feet. It measures about 16 cm across and 29 cm tall. Controls for winding, play and stop sit discreetly beneath the base, which carries the Reuge signature and serial number.

Kept in long-term storage and checked in working order, it is a serious mechanical object that also happens to be one of the most charming things one can place on a desk or mantel.

Details

• Designer: Reuge
• Season: Current Volière de la Cour line
• Model / ref: Volière de la Cour singing birds, AXO.90.7005.002
• Material: Gilt brass cage and base, natural feathers, velvet
• Colour: Gold with red and yellow birds
• Made in: Switzerland
• Tagged size: One size
• Measurements: Width 16 cm · Height 29 cm
• Included: Reuge box (marked), dust bag, guarantee card, instruction booklet

Condition

• Near-new condition from long-term storage; tested and working.
• Gilt bright and clean, feathers full and colourful.
• Very light handling marks only.
• Outer box shows soiling; contents complete.

Condition grade S on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.

Authenticity & Care

The labels, materials, stitching, hardware and construction are examined together and documented in Japan before dispatch; anything that cannot be confirmed is stated plainly in the description. Every piece carries the Japonista authenticity guarantee. Keep away from direct sunlight and humidity, wind gently and avoid touching the feathers; a periodic service by a specialist keeps the bellows singing.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything before you buy, and see our published policy.

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