Rosewood Music Boxes. Rosewood was often used in antique furniture, jewelry boxes, musical instruments and music boxes. Genuine rosewood is now a protected species due to over exploitation although antique rosewood items are still allowed to be sold.
Below are some examples of rosewood music boxes.
A LARGE NICOLE FRERES SIX OVERTURE CYLINDER MUSIC BOX, SWISS LATE 19TH CENTURY, NO. 43150. The cylinder plays six overtures on two steel cones (three tips missing), the lid has a brass tune sheet, Gamme No. 2646, listing 6 overtures by Herold, Rossini, Auber, Boieldieu, and signed Fabrique de Nichole Freres pour Parkins & Gotto 24/25 Oxford Strt London, in rosewood veneered case, with marquetry inlaid panels in the front and lid
Sold for £4,062 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2020
A GALLÉ ROSEWOOD AND MARQUETRY BOX CIRCA 1890 Inlaid in various woods with irises and leaves, signed in marquetry Gallé
Sold for £1500 at Christie’s in 2012
Swiss Music Rosewood Cylinder Box and Rosewood Cylinder Table Late 19th century Each decorated with marquetry inlaid musical instruments, four cylinders that play 32 airs, including Mendelsshon’s Wedding March, Brinoises’s La Traviata, Bizet’s Carmen Polka, etc., the table with a frieze drawer, raised on tapering circular legs ending in casters.
Sold for $4,062 (includes buyer’s premium) at Doyle in 2015
A Swiss rosewood and maple inlaid cylinder drum bells wood block and organ music box, late 19th century mechanism playing with a 35.5cm cylinder one of eight tunes as listed on the tune sheet, on a double comb, accompagnied by a drum, seven saucer bells, a wood block and an organ mounted below in the rosewood and maple veneered case with ebonized borders and ornate brass hinged handles, marquetry inlay of musical instruments to the front and top length 74cm
Sold for 6,000 EUR at Sotheby’s in 2007
Swiss Columbia 8-Tune Cylinder Music Box
Crank wind. Stamped, “M-F 1816 Patented Sept 22, 1885 – Dec 6 1887 – Mai 8 1888 – D.R.P. 33516 43585”
Sold for CA$300 at Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd in 2020
Cylinder music box by the Nicole Freres, playing eight operatic airs. GAmme no. 2153 and serial no. 46091, with a forte piano arrangement of a loud comb and a soft comb. In a rosewood case with a floral marquetry inlay on the lid depicting a spray of summer flowers.
Reference: © Victoria and Albert Museum
