Object Description
This is a lovely antique Swiss 8 airs Gonçalo Alves cylinder music box, manufactured by Qualite Excelsior Sondrite Extra Puissant Harmonie, circa 1870 in date.
The Goncalo Alves case is inlaid and crossbanded with boxwood inlay and superb marquetry decoration of musical instruments. It is raised on a plinth base and is fitted with brass carrying handles.
The music box features a 28cm cylinder playing eight tunes with arrow and adjustable lyre damper, with handwritten “Tremolo a Zither” play sheet and makers plate for Qualite Excelsior Sondrite Extra Puissant Harmonie.
Condition:
In excellent working condition, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 28 cm x Width 66 cm x Depth 22 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 11 inches x Width 2 foot, 2 inches x Depth 9 inches
Music box
(also musical box) is a 19th/20th century automatic musical instrument that produces sounds by the use of a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder or disc so as to pluck the tuned teeth (or lamellae) of a steel comb. They were developed from musical snuff boxes of the 18th century and called carillons à musique. Some of the more complex boxes also have a tiny drum and/or small bells, in addition to the metal comb.
For most of the 19th century, the bulk of music box production was concentrated in Switzerland, building upon a strong watchmaking tradition. The first music box factory was opened there in 1815 by Jérémie Recordon and Samuel Junod. There were also a few manufacturers in Bohemia and Germany. By the end of the 19th century, some of the European makers had opened factories in the United States.
The cylinders were normally made of metal and powered by a spring. In some of the costlier models, the cylinders could be removed to change melodies, thanks to an invention by Paillard in 1862, which was perfected by Metert of Geneva in 1879.[citation needed] In some exceptional models, there were four springs, to provide continuous play for up to three hours.
Gonçalo Alves
is a hardwood (from the Portuguese name, Gonçalo Alves). It is sometimes referred to as tigerwood — a name that underscore the wood’s often dramatic, contrasting color scheme.
While the sapwood is very light in color, the heartwood is a sombre brown, with dark streaks that give it a unique look. The wood’s color deepens with exposure and age and even the plainer-looking wood has a natural luster.
Two species are usually listed as sources for gonçalo alves: Astronium fraxinifolium and Astronium graveolens, although other species in the genus may yield similar wood; the amount of striping that is present may vary.
In the high tropical forests of Central and South America, well-drained soils furnish nutrients for a variety of dense, durable hardwoods sought for maritime use, heavyconstruction, and furniture. The Spanish began harvesting in Latin American forests in the early 1500s to provide timber for boatbuilding and repair. By the early 1900s, however, steel ships had replaced wooden ones, and the interest in tropical forests by both Europeans and Americans shifted to appearance-grade woods for furniture.
Although history fails to provide us with a shopping list of species from either harvest period, it’s probable that the wood we know today as goncalo alves has always been sought. That’s because goncalo alves, considered one of the most beautiful of tropical woods, has a tough reputation, too. Strong and durable, it’s used for construction in its homeland and secondarily for fine furniture. Woodworkers elsewhere treasure the wood for decorative items and veneer accents.
Our reference: A3761