Antique German Disc Music Box with Inlaid Walnut Casket
A Symphonion Schutz-Marke disc music box with six discs, circa 1900, Germany, maker's stamps to discs, the walnut casket inlaid with bird and foliage motifs to the lid, with decorative three-quarter pillars to the edges and cast bronze handles, the interior with two sets of combs playing perforated twelve-inch metal discs operated via an external sliding crank, the disks each playing a single tune, height 10.24 in., width 19.69 in., depth 14.96 in.
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- Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
- Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.
The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.
It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- automata / automaton - singing bird 84
- musical boxes and cabinets
