Description
The very rustic case is made using applied small tree branches and knurled burl wood. The top of the roof which may have been made using thin tree bark has dried and split and has some loss. The rest of the case appears to be fine. The movement has a standard cuckoo strike that plays on the hour and half-hour, but there is no cuckoo bird. There is a door that opens to reveal an articulated monk who has a rope in his hand to chime the bell in the tower. There is a separate movement that is wound from the front that plays two bells and provides the movement and sound to the figure. It looks like it chimes every four hours. The numbers on the dial are dark and would need to be cleaned. The case also has a spring loaded drawer in the base that opens on the side. The bell tower comes off for transport. This is a very uncommon item. Height 24.5 inches
Record courtesy of R.O. Schmitt Fine Arts