Lot 124: EMIL BRENK STERLING SILVER SINGING BIRD BOX AUTOMATON

An Emil Brenk sterling silver singing bird box automaton. The rectangular box features waisted sides and a hinged lid, decorated throughout with high-relief repoussé work in the Neo-Rococo style. The lid is centrally fitted with a hinged oval cover depicting two putti playing with a bird cage in a woodland landscape. The side panels depict various pastoral scenes, including a man in 18th-century attire playing bagpipes, a reclining woman with a dog, and other figures engaged in outdoor pursuits, all framed by ornate C-scrolls, foliage, and floral motifs. The central compartment opens to reveal a mechanical singing bird with iridescent green and blue plumage, positioned above an intricately pierced and engraved gilt grille. Hallmarks to the side comprise the maker mark E&B for Emil Brenk, the 925 sterling silver fineness mark, and the International Hallmarking Convention Common Control Mark depicting a pair of scales.

Dimensions: approximately 100mm x 65mm x 40mm.