Description

A fine mid 19^th Century Swiss tortoiseshell musical box with a repousse scene to the lid.  Small rectangular barrel  type musical mechanism with a choice of two tunes.  The tines arranged in sixteen groups of four and one of six.  Going barrel wound with a male key from below.  Rectangular tortoiseshell box with engine turned tortoiseshell base.  Two mother of pearl discs on the front slide to actuate the music and change the tune.  The lid with full length piano hinge opens to reveal the mechanism under a shaped translucent horn cover.  Inset into the lid a fine chased and engraved rectangular scene of The Intervention of the Sabines.  At the lower right hand corner the signature “Morel F”.  The scene protected by a translucent horn cover in a gold frame.