The Swiss firm of Nicole Frères created this spectacular 4-tune Grand Format music box. Rarely found in such exceptional condition, these models were considered the gold standard of music boxes in the mid-19th century. The unusually large cylinder allowed for movements to be longer than the average box, while the intricate arrangement of the close-set teeth allowed their music to be far more complex. Such advances solidified Nicole Frères’ reputation as one of the finest makers of music boxes of all time.
Established in Geneva in 1814 by François Nicole, the firm of Nicole Frères is credited with inventing the most important refinements affecting musical quality in cylinder music boxes. The result was an array of music boxes of the utmost caliber, featuring masterfully crafted mechanisms of outstanding sound quality housed within beautifully designed cases. Other examples of their quality workmanship can be found in important collections around the world, including the Victoria & Albert Museum (London).
This box consists of four highly complicated overture selections, including Schulhoff's Carnaval de Venise, Home Sweet Home, Lillie Dale, and The Last Rose of Summer. The box is itself a work of art, crafted of rosewood and mahogany.
The box bears its original paper label
Stamped "Nicole Freres A Geneve"
Circa 1850
8" high x 28 3/4" wide x 11 1/2" deep
Established in Geneva in 1814 by François Nicole, the firm of Nicole Frères is credited with inventing the most important refinements affecting musical quality in cylinder music boxes. The result was an array of music boxes of the utmost caliber, featuring masterfully crafted mechanisms of outstanding sound quality housed within beautifully designed cases. Other examples of their quality workmanship can be found in important collections around the world, including the Victoria & Albert Museum (London).
This box consists of four highly complicated overture selections, including Schulhoff's Carnaval de Venise, Home Sweet Home, Lillie Dale, and The Last Rose of Summer. The box is itself a work of art, crafted of rosewood and mahogany.
The box bears its original paper label
Stamped "Nicole Freres A Geneve"
Circa 1850
8" high x 28 3/4" wide x 11 1/2" deep
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