I have had the recent privilege of working on a very peculiar singing bird box by Rochat. So far my inquiries have not revealed any knowledge of this particular Rochat box. The 18k vari-coloured gold engine turned diamond adorned box houses three gilt mechanisms, including chain fusée and cylindrical bellows for the singing bird automaton, [...]
Tag: automaton
The Silver Swan
My favourite object in the world is called The Silver Swan automaton. I learned about it when my (then future) tutor Matthew Read was leading and overseeing a host of conservation works being performed on it. I had the opportunity to assist him with some regular maintenance to this amazing object - as well as [...]
The Gentleman Smoker- The Mechanism
The mechanism of the Smoker is rather simple. The train is driven by a single spring driven barrel. Attached to the barrel is a series of cams that control the motions of the Smoker - the movement of the head, the opening and closing of the mouth, and the lifting of the hands. The barrel [...]