16 1/2". Seated atop a paper-mache barrel with faux-wood grain and green painted barrel stays is a paper-mache Monkey Marquis. He has glass eyes, artistically painted face, hinged upper and lower jaws and is richly costumed in silks. He holds a wooden violin in his left arm, and a bow in his right. A wooden music stand is positioned in front of him with old music book, and a paper mache dog is at his feet. The music and mechanical works are housed in the upper part of the barrel. The barrel separates at the middle and the lower portion, which once served as a luxury candy box for prestigious Parisian chocolatier such as Marquis de Sevigne, is divided into candy compartments.
Movements: The monkey nods his head as though in time to the music, he plays the violin with bow in his left hand, he opens and closes both upper and lower lips. The dog opens and closes his lips, and jumps up and down. Music Plays.
Historical Reference: The creation of luxury fancy goods such as fantaisies a musique was an important aspect of the early work of Jean Phalibois. These musical fantasies, by showcasing gentle and amusing little scenes, disguised the otherwise everyday purpose of the piece. Fantaisies a musique disguised not only candy containers, as the example seen here, but also inkwells, decanters, sewing boxes, or cigar boxes. Few examples of these luxury fancy goods still exist today. Circa 1875.