An Extremely Fine And Rare Key-Wind Hooked-Tooth Piano-Forte Overture Musical Box, By Nicole Frères, serial no. 27806, Gamme No. 1394, to 'minor' Grand-Format proportions and layout, playing four fabulous overtures - Cenerentola, Rossini; Figaro, Mozart; Dame Blánche, Boildieu; and L'Italienne, Bellini, with massive single-spring ratchet key-wind motor, stamped two part comb on plain brass bedplate, in red stained interior under dustlid and hinged top key compartment to right-hand side, change/repeat start/stop and instant stop access through inset side flap with lock, finely engraved silvered metal tunesheet with Whytock & Sons, Dundee retailer under the four overture programme, lid interior with dual stringing, in the superbly figured fully rosewood-veneered case, the lid with geometric painted enamel and boulle inlay in various colours within matching frame and Rococo corners, triple brass stringing and further single brass stringing to the edge, the front with the matching boulle and brass work to smaller geometric pattern and further triptych double brass strung inlay, sides with simple boxwood inlay, with the period ratchet key with coromandel handle - 27in. wide, the cylinder 16.1/2in. the diameter 3.1/2in.
Condition: G II 2 (additional - rounded right-rear corner panel loose but present, minor brass stringing to front panel starting to peal out)

Footnote: This box is the closest in format and notational complexity to a Grand Format as one could get with just a slightly shorter diameter at 3.1/2in instead of the now accepted 4in. The Forte-Piano layout certainly highlights some very interesting p & f phrases on the known and much-recorded notations of these overture works, performed here also with some interesting score variations on several passages of at least three of the overtures - particularly the last passage and finale following the p-f return bridge of Figaro.
In un-touched condition, this musical box features as a very early entry on the MBSGB register, inputted at least 40 years ago.