Author:Mermod Freres

Category：Entertainment

Year：ca. 1890

Size:Length:33.3 x Width:93 x Height:31.6 (cm)

Weight:31.21kg

Introduction：The music box is a mechanical musical instrument that was invented in 1796 by Geneva watchmaker Antoine Favre- Salomon. In the beginning, cylinder music boxes could only repeat the same melodies over and over again. It was not until 1862 that Amédée, Paillard in Sainte Croix, Switzerland, invented the interchangeable cylinder music box. This revolutionary innovation brought unparalleled popularity to the music box.

This cylinder music box in the Chimei collection is one of the sort. The slot for coins to be inserted on the right tells us that it was used in public spaces. Inside the instrument are two steel combs. When the cylinder is revolving, it plucks the tuned teeth of the combs on both left and right sides. In an open public area, this feature allows a boosted volume, so that everyone can hear the instrument. The pitches produced by the two combs are slightly different which, when played simultaneously, create a rich timbral effect called "Wonderful Harmony" or "Sublime Harmony".

In the late 19th century, the small town of Sainte Croix in Switzerland became the capital of music box. Each music box produced there had a unique logo on it - an S letter under a Catholic cross. S stands for "Sainte" ("Holy" in French) and the cross is "Croix" in French. The Mermod Freres company was one of Sainte Croix’s most well-known music box manufacturers. They were known not only for their fine music boxes, but also for their very high-priced watches. Unfortunately, striken by the world economy crisis of 1929, Mermod Freres closed their doors, like many other Sainte Croix manufacturers. This particular music box allows us to witness the ingenuity of people in the 19th century, and enjoy the marvelous music it makes now a century later.

Accession number:0008987

Place of Orgin：Sainte Croix, Switzerland