Bontems singing bird box, tortoiseshell-veneered case, c. 1890

A late nineteenth-century singing bird box by the Bontems atelier of Paris, in a rectangular case veneered in blonde tortoiseshell with silver-gilt piqué stringing. Depress the lever at the front edge and the hinged lid springs open; a small feathered bird rises, sings a two-phrase song while turning through ninety degrees and blinking, then retreats. The lid closes. This takes approximately eleven seconds and never fails to disarm.

Bellows were carefully recovered in kid leather during a 2018 service by a restorer we trust. The feathering is original and shows the expected minor loss along the crown. Winding key present.

Bontems boxes are frequently misattributed; this one is signed to the underside of the movement plate.