Outstanding French Musical Mechanical Vignette with Elaborate Movements and Clock

Live Auction

23" (58 cm.) h. 17"w. An elaborate dimensional paper mache village scene with clock tower, windmill, bridge, waterwheel, and homes, is arranged under a glass dome, along with paper mache cascading "waterfall", and a porcelain-faced clock set into the clock tower. Sixteen people are arranged on the bridge, balcony and foreground, and an elaborately-fitted ship is in the foreground. A glass dome with painted sea scene covers the entire vignette. When wound, music plays, the ship rocks back and forth, people walk across the bridge, the windmill and the waterwheel turn. Condition: generally excellent, music and mechanism function well, unknown if clock is working. Comments: French, circa 1860. Value Points: outstanding vignette with elaborate movements, beautiful marching music to complement the movements, and superb state of preservation including original paper label.