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SEE MORE EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS BRIEF HISTORY OF TURTLE AUTOMATA (SEE VIDEO IN THIS LISTING)
While automata were – and still are – reserved for just a lucky few owners throughout history some examples continue to exist, passed on from generation to generation through sale houses, museums, and collections of rare objects.
Around 1610, Georg Fronmiller of Augsburg, Germany crafted a turtle automaton clock in gold-plated copper, iron, brass, bronze, wood, silver, and enamel, making this most likely the earliest known turtle automaton. It is currently at home in the Princely Treasury of the Hessian Museum (Fürstliche Schatzkammer, Hessisches Landesmuseum) of Darmstadt.
An example of a walking tortoise recently sold by the Berker art sale house in Cologne is still in existence from the 1920s. A spring mechanism wound by key allows the paper-maché-and-wood animal with articulated head and limbs to realistically crawl.More decorative instances were made in the twentieth century, with Sotheby’s in 2013 having saleed an interesting key-wound silver turtle automatonwith a singing bird in its shell made in Germany in about 1975 (exactly same model offered in this listing). While the work is not attributed, it certainly docks into the tradition begun there in the 1600s. This turtle’s silver case is elaborately engraved to represent turtle scales; its head moves when the bird sings. The bird additionally flaps its wings and moves its beak.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
This is a fabulous, exceptional and with no doubt the rarest vintage automaton singing bird box ever made, with the shape of a turtle.This turtle’s sterling silver case is elaborately engraved to represent turtle scales; its head moves when the bird sings. The bird additionally flaps its wings and moves its beak.Completely made in massive sterling silver Germany in about 1975. This automaton turtle is so unusual that you can only found a picture provided by Sotheby´s in a research made MB&F Kelys & Chirp, a reputable Company that currently that takes up this tradition manufacturing a new and incredibly sophisticated models of automaton turtles. This extraordinary piece has been perfectly preserved (mint condition) and works perfectly (see video). It includes its original key. A really museum automaton turtlefor demanding collectors. Weight: 704 grams. Wide: 18 centimeters. Tall: 6 centimeters. Depth: 8 centimeters.Shipping costs via FedEx certifiedfree. We ship worldwide, certified with tracking code (2 to 5 weeks to arrive). If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact me.Thank you for your visit.
