Swiss Automaton Mechanical Music Box. The single long cylinder playing airs accompanied by six bells with three seated harlequin drummer figures, each with drum sticks, twirling automaton dancers (probably French) and castanet, with musical teeth in comb (some losses), crank-wound nickel-plated mechanism with a Jacot's Safety Check, speed control, and plaque with patent dates to 1890, the whole mounted in olive green painted oak box with a lift top glazed door, the backside of the box decoupage decorated with two pheasants in field of wildflowers. Dimensions 14 x 29 3/4 x 15 inches (35.6 x 75.6 x 38 cm). This wonderful fabricated piece was likely put together at the beginning of 20th century, possibly for use in a retail setting. In a 1919 issue of "Le Jouet" magazine the automaton maker Lambert advertised a "splendid assortment of mechanical pieces for display windows, well suited for use in confectioners' shops, green-grocers' shops, perfume shops, haberdashers' shops, tobacconists". As with this music box, the long-duration spring motor allows the automaton to revolve for almost fifteen minutes on a single winding. It was presumably designed for a counter.