KOLLER VIEW 3/23

12 1 A collection of chess sets and game boards. 2 A parcel-gilt silver flask, Danzig, circa 1680. Maker’s mark Johann Gottfried Holl. Estimate: CHF 3 000/5 000 3 A French Renaissance bone and mother-of-pearl inlaid walnut cabinet, Loire region, circa 1570/80. 146 × 57.5 × 220 cm. Estimate: CHF 12 000/15 000 4 A rare Swiss automaton bird cage with cylinder mu- sic box. Restauration, Geneva circa 1825/30. Finely chased gilt bronze. H 41 cm. Estimate: CHF 150 000/250 000 Preview of the Decorative Arts auction on 21 September 2023 Technically refined and extremely rare In the decades between 1780 and 1840, a unique Swiss craft flourished: the manufacture of birdcage clocks. Theproductionof theseexclusive luxurygoods required the collaboration of watchmakers, bronze casters, enamellers and musical movement techni- cians. One of the outstanding watchmakers and s ellers of luxury objects of the time was Charles F. Bautte (Bautte & Moynier), who worked in Geneva and was known for his high-quality watch and jewellery c reations. His name was mentioned in w ritings by Honoré de Balzac and he counted such prominent custom- ers as Alexandre Dumas and John Ruskin among his clients. In the case of the birdcage clock offered on 21 September, which contains an extremely rare fea- ture – an automaton butter- fly – Bautte & Moynier were more likely the sellers and perhaps commissioners of the work (ill. 4). The construction of the birdcage with its fountain, butterfly and birds hopping from branch to branch suggests that it is by the clock and automaton mak- er Jean-David Maillardet (1748–1834), who worked in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The three-melody music box in the base of the cage is signed C.F. Nardin (active 1806–1823), while the movement was likely made by the Atelier Courvoisier et Cie in La Chaux-de-Fonds (active 1811–1845). A former owner of this valuable rarity was probably the Jura industrialist Guido Reuge (1904–1994), who came from a renowned family of watchmakers. The Decorative Arts auction also features approxi- mately thirty sets of chess pieces from two extraor- dinary private collections. They represent a broad stylistic palette ranging from 18 th century to modern pieces designed by artists such asMax Ernst andMan Ray (ill. 1), as well as examples from India, Burma and China. Two rare and early game boxes are also featured. One, from the free Imperial city of Eger (today in the Czech Republic), dating from the middle of the 17 th centu- ry and with the extremely fine relief inlays typical of this area, can be attributed to the workshop of Sam- uel Eck (1604–1664). The other is a beautifully inlaid 16 th -century game box for chess and backgammon, made in Spain, with decoration inspired by motifs from Moorish culture and the Middle East. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION DECORATIVE ARTS Stephan Koller skoller@kollerauctions.com ONLINE CATALOGUES www.kollerauctions.com 1 2 3