2 Books onMechanical Singing Birds

1) "Mechanical Singing-bird Tabatières", Geoffrey T. Mayson, published by Robert Hale, London 2000, 256 pages, over 200 color illustrations, hard cover with jacket. The standard work on singing bird boxes. - And: 2) "Flights of Fancy/Oiseaux de Bonheur", Sharon & Christian Bailly, Antiquorum Editions 2001, 376 pages, approx. 300 excellent color illustrations, hard cover with jacket. This book is an indispensable reference for collectors and specialists, an introduction to the subject for those as yet unacquainted with it, affording all the opportunity to discover or delve more deeply into the delightful world of mechanical singing birds. It traces the evolution of singing birds from antiquity to modern times, according particular attention to the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, the "Golden Age" of mechanical singing birds.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)