The Only Pair of Matching Singing Bird Pistols

In the late 18th and early 19th century the wealthy aristocrats of Europe often collected small automatons. These were clockwork robots, decedents of the hour-striker clocks of Renaissance Europe. One of the most popular styles consisted of birds who flapped their wings and sung. They were originally mounted in cages as an attempt at realism. Styles changed and the little birds popped up everywhere, including the barrel of bejeweled gold pistols and the only matching pair by Freres Rochat recently were auctioned at Christie's

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