Passed
Description
20" (51 cm.) Set within an oval gilded wood and gesso frame,behind a convex,oval glass window,is a die-cut dimensional scene of a loving family gathered around a spinet piano. The mother sits at the piano while the father,standing alongside,turns the sheet music and the nanny oversees a child who is playing with a drum while his Polichinelle toy lies nearby on the carpet. On the drawing room wall is mounted an ormolu-framed clock with dial plate of enameled porcelain with Roman numerals. Movements and Music. The lady pianist's hands glide individually over the keyboard as the gentleman's right arm waves in gesture to the nanny and child. All four figures nod their heads to the music,the nanny's left arm also waves,and both forearms of the small girl are beating their drum. The mechanism operates from a drawstring and push/pull lever at the side. The two-tune musical box operates independently from a drawstring. The wall clock is really a miniature pulley-wound pocket watch. A paper tune label on the side of the frame lists two tunes,Aurora Valse,and La Cachucha Danse Espagnole,along with instructions for use written in French. An identical animated scene in the Museum des Zeitmessung Beyer,Zurich bears the signature Berthoud,Paris on the timepiece,and le Grand Aine on the animation mechanism.