An attractive Swiss Sublime Harmony Piccolo cylinder music box by Baker troll, circa 1890.

Description

Sublime Harmony

At the start of the 19th Century the first cylinder music boxes were made, with a pinned cylinder playing on steel teeth that produced the sound. Musical mechanisms playing on bells and flutes already existed. With this first generation of music boxes the teeth were screwed down seperately or in pairs. In the decades that followed the combs became larger and larger. The makers tried to improve the music boxes with all kinds of inventions. One of the improvements that they developed was ‘sublime harmony’. It consists of two or more combs playing together. Because of these it is possible that the same note can be played quicker in succession since another tooth can be played when an earlier is still vibrating. Also, by playing two teeth with the same note, one can produce a fuller sound with more volume. And it is much easier to play cords. Finally, the mechanism has some extras like a melody selector and fast/slow regulator. The melodies are embellished with many small notes which must have liked very much at the time, hence the term ‘piccolo’. With all this in mind, we can safely say that the beautifully executed case is fitting for this special mechanism.

Cylinder

The partially nickel-plated mechanism has a 38-cm pinned cylinder that plays on two combs. It is driven by a spring barrel with a fixed winding handle. There are levers for start/stop and repeat/change (of the melody). The regulator has a knob that can be used to adjust the playback speed. There is also a sector with a hand for indicating which melody is being played.

Marquetry

The box is veneered on all sides and has rosewood panels with string inlaid banding, framed with bird’s-eye maple on the front and sides. There are also cast and gilded brass handles on the sides. The similarly veneered lid has a marquetry ornament incorporating musical instruments in the centre.

Tune sheet

The tune sheet has the trade mark of Baker Troll. It reads ; Sublime Harmony Piccolo.
1. Feuerfunken Waltz Strauss
2. Bird’s Nest Polka Levy
3. La Ravissante Gavotte Alberti
4. Last Rose of Summer Flotow
5. La Traviata Addio del Passato Verdi
6. Barber of Seville Overture Rossini
7. L’Africaine Horns Meyerbeer
8. Beggerstudent March Milloecker