Rare Silver-Gilt Musical Snuff Box by Bruguier, c. 1818

No. 466, the comb-base engraved "Bruguier, 52 Great Marlborough St., London", playing two airs, with sectional comb in 28 pairs of teeth (complete), chamfered bass teeth, engine-turned case with crisply detailed relief of buds, shells and flowering plants around a central roundel with engraved monogram "B (or G) P" and inscription: "Be steady ever, Despair never", the polished gilt interior with London hallmarks and silversmith's initials "W", wd. 3 ½ in. (9 cm), cylinder 2 ¼ in. (5,7 cm), good playing condition, missing female stopwork and most of the original case screws. With key. - Literature: Geoffrey T. Mayson, "Mechanical Singing Bird Tabatières", p. 126. - According to Mayson, Charles Bruguier and his family returned from London to Geneva in 1823 and shortly afterwards began the production of singing bird boxes. Though Brugnier was not principally known for cylinder musical movements, Mayson's dating suggests that the example here is from the earliest days of production. - A fine George III silver snuff box and an important document in the development of mechanical music.

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)