music box - king solomon

[wondering1968]

hi there

wondering about a music box... approx 60cm across x 50cm high from memory... opens to a scene of large wooden figures which move as the music plays... king solomon on his thrown raises his arms in judgement... the harlots twist and beg... the babe on the chopping block lifts its arms... the knight with his sword raising and lowering... and there is a figure of a man at the front of the box who reaches to the viewer asking for a coin to be placed in his hand... and then he turns and places the coin in a collection box

i did a search on google and haven't come across anything even vaguely like it. does anybody know what the value might be? it needs to be restored but is a staggering item

[ghopper1924]

Hmmm, sounds Swiss or German.

Please post pictures!!

[wondering1968]

german sounds about right... will have to try and get a photo taken of it

the wood is dark brown... almost black... the scroll is hidden away underneath... the wooden figurines are beautifully painted in gorgeous colours and gold detail...

my father (who is nearly 80) says that when he was a boy it used to be in the window of his grandfathers jewellery shop in canada at christmas time...

i remember when i was a child (around 30 years ago) a man came to see it and offered my father $10,000AUS for it... on the spot! LOL! i remember he told my father it was the 'rolls royce' of music boxes

i wish i could remember more detail... i will have to ask my father

pretty obvious that i should have found out more detail prior to posting but i guess i just wondered if anyone would recognise it by my description as it's incredibly unusual

[ACStanley]

I must say, I cant wait to see pictures!

[wendy177]

I would love to see photos also!! Sounds enchanting!! The French also made very ornate Music automation boxes.
http://www.antiquemusicboxes.com/dolls.html

[wondering1968]

thank you for sending link to pics... the one you show has the figurines dressed in clothes... whereas the music box i am speaking of is entirely carved of wood... there are metal rods that go up inside the wooden figurines which make them move... the carving is astounding... even the eyeballs move! i have no comprehension of how skilled the craftsman must have been!

[mart]

Now I have to remember where I have heard about these !!  They were used to draw business !!  People walking by would stop and look and hopefully come in and buy something !!  Many/most were German and Swiss made !!

[ghopper1924]

Sounds as if it might be Black Forest in origin.

[wondering1968]

i wonder where you'd get something like this restored?

[mart]

there are many here that restore antique music boxes !!  one used to live next door to me but that was back in the sixties  !!  his last name was McPeak,, and i think the first name was Wallace,, might have someone,, son or something that learned the trade !!  try googling

[KC]

They are called Automata, Automaton, or automatons.  They are music boxes that imitate life with movement.

Here are some of my favorite sites that I have come across over the years:
http://automatomania.co.uk/about/   http://www.teatrodeautomatas.com/htmls/historia_english.html
http://www.fi.edu/learn/sci-tech/automaton/automaton.php?cts=instrumentation

Maybe Music Box Society International could possibly be of assistance in helping you find a restorer?
http://www.mbsi.org/