French ivory and mother-of-pearl music box, France, 19th century

Height x width x depth: 6.5 x 12 x 6.5 cm. Gross weight: 540 g; estimated weight: 400 g.

Rectangular in shape, resting on four turned cylindrical feet, entirely crafted from ivory (Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 or Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797), inlaid on the sides with floral elements and musical instruments within geometric reserves. The upper part is decorated with engraved mother-of-pearl applications featuring floral and foliage motifs. At the center, the mother-of-pearl is accompanied by a pierced metal element depicting musical instruments. These motifs are alternately repeated on the sides, framed by perimeter borders and geometric elements.
The hinged lid conceals a compartment with a removable bottom, underneath which is a musical mechanism of Swiss manufacture, stamped "Swiss."
On the underside of the box, there is a winding key for the mechanism.

This lot, accompanied by a CITES certificate, is only available for sale with shipments within the European Union.