Antique Music Box With Butterflies, Circa 1890

Wonderful antique music box from the late 19th century, made in Switzerland for the English market circa 1870 and in excellent condition and great working order. The box has been fully restored in order to show off the lovely look that we can see in the images; also, the movement has been cleaned and fine-tuned to guarantee an optimal performance. This means that today the music box can play 10 delightful English pouplar tunes with the nostalgic sound of music machines made more than one hundred years old. The box includes three small automaton butterflies that move as the music plays. The box is made of solid mahogany wood. The wood looks fantastic, with no visible flaws, cracks or stains. The original French-polish finish has been recovered so today it shows off a warm satin glow. At the front side of the box we can see a subtle rectangle engraved in the wood: The box preserves the original metal keyhole, though the lock is not in working order. The edge of the cover and the legs bear a deep black ebony-like finish that makes a fine contrast with the light golden wood. Inside the box bears a black-lacquered finish: the metal movement and the golden butterflies stand out remarkably over the dark background. The inner face of the cover bears an orange-lacquered finish, bright and attractive. There is a big label stack on the lacquered surface, a colored and beautiful paper sheet. It contains the titles of the popular tunes played by the music box, adorned by a fine colorful mythological scene. The paper sheet is well preserve, almost complete and with the original colors. The movement that rests into the box preserves all its original component parts in excellent condition: the comb is complete and so is the pin-drum. As charming as gorgeous, this lovely antique music box with automaton butterflies is a fine item that will delight every lover of the most special mechanical pieces. Measurements: Width: 18.5 in / 47 cm. Height: 8.2 in / 21 cm.