A beautifully engraved singing bird box in ormolu with original fire gilding. The box very much in the Bruguier style with fine all over engraving, including the underside and having the typical Bruguier style top corners. The silvered bronze lid is decorated with birds. On sliding the operating lever the lid opens and the full bodied bird pops through the grille & begins singing. It has a moving beak, the bird turns, flaps his wings and tail and after his performance pops down through the grille & the lid lowers. Probably Swiss circa 1890.