A rare early gold, enamel and pearl musical box, the movement signed: F. Lecoultre, Geneva, circa 1814

of rounded rectangular form, the lid inset with a painted enamel plaque depicting Joan of Arc within a half-pearl border, the sides and base moiré engine-turned within taille d'épargne floral borders on black and light blue grounds, the interior of the lid with later inscription, the interior with pinned barrel and single comb movement, stamped: F. LECOULTRE, excellently playing two airs, the rim struck with departmental French petite garantie for 1809-1819, with contemporary red leather case (in the manner of Rundell, Bridge & Rundell) and later key

The interior of the lid inscribed:
Presented / to the Revd. Rect. P. Davies / by his kind & much esteemed friend / J.D. Thompson Esqr. / Sunny Bank, 1841'

The donor, James Duncan Thomson (1787-1851), was a director of the Universal Life Insurance Company and magistrate, who lived at Sunny Bank in Breconshire in the 1830s  and acted as High Sheriff for the county in 1838. He moved to PorchesterTerrace, London, but died of a lingering illness in 1851 – ‘His end was perfect peace’ (Morning Advertiser, 27 June 1851). His daughter Mary had been born in 1837 in Llangasty , Breconshire,  where the recipient, Rev. Richard William Payne Davies (1806-1890) was rector. He was later archdeacon of Brecon from 1859-1875.
The box passed to his sister, Maria;
her son, Rev. Augustus Browne (1832-1916), of Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire;
his daughter, Amy Maria Browne (born 1864), wife of Jonathan Jones;
their daughter, Gytha Blanche Marsden Jones (1900-1988;
thence by descent until recently

Associated literature:
Rapport sur l’exposition des produits de l’industrie genevoise, Geneva, 1828;
Alfred Chapuis, History of the Musical Box and of Mechanical Music, translation New Jersey, 1980;
François Jequier, ‘Les relations économique entre Genève et la Vallée de Joux, Bulletin de la Société d’histoire et d’archéologie de Genève, vol. xv, 1973, p. 115

Enamel plaque in excellent order, sides and base lacking translucent enamel, slight denting on interio, movement apparently in good order but function not guaranteed by Replica Shoes s. t.mes wear to case.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any stat.mes nt made by Replica Shoes 's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

It is generally agreed that Antoine Favre (1734-1820) of Geneva should be credited with the invention of ‘comb’ musical movements; first.mes ntion of his method appearing in the registers of the Societé des Arts de Genève in 1796. Favre was too poor to exploit his invention so Isaac Daniel Piguet (1775-1841), however, is said to have been the first to put the discovery to practical use when he inserted a miniature 5 steel tine musical mechanism into the base of a fob seal around 1802. Before this, the musical movements for automata and snuff boxes had depended on a hammer and bell carillon system, impossible to reduce in size. Piguet was not the only person exploring the possibilities of Favre’s idea and by 1812, according to an official statistic, there were already 174 people working on musical movements in Geneva, ‘tant tabatières que cachets’.

Around 1814, François Lecoultre pioneered the construction of a pierced comb out of a single sheet of metal, rather than using single or grouped tines. This enabled him to produce a louder, more agreeable and more consistent sound for his musical boxes. François Louis, son of Abraham Joseph Lecoultre and Julie Golay had been born in Le Chenit in 1782. He moved to Geneva with his younger brother Henri like so many of their compatriots although they do not appear to have formalised their association. On 28 July 1815, he married in Geneva, Françoise-Louise-Elisabeth, daughter of François Nicole, later nicknamed ‘the Michelangelo of musical boxes’. Lecoultre continued to work on ‘pièces à musique’ with his brother in Geneva, dying there on 19 December 1829.

The rim of the box is struck with the French departmental ‘tête de coq’ petite garantie for 1809-1819. The French had left Geneva on 30 December 1813 and were replaced by Austrian troops who took over the city militarily until mid-May 1814 after Napoleon had been consigned to Elba. Soldiers of the Helvetic Confederation were sent to protect the city after Napoleon’s escape and remained until the summer of 1815, when the Genevois were able once again to organise their affairs. By the end of 1815 new regulations and marks for the assay of silver and gold were in place. What happened during the interregnum is not clear but it seems unlikely that the Geneva bureau de garantie was closed overnight. Certainly it seems that this box must have been made around 1814 , making it one of François Lecoultre’s earliest single comb movements.