COLOGNE, German – Auction Team Breker’s sale of May 21 includes fine examples of two historic mechanical writing machines, the Malling-Hansen Writing Ball (Lot 149, estimate: €70.000–€90.000 / $78,000–$100,000) and the Sholes & Glidden (Lot 148, €15.000–€22.000 / $17,000–$25,000).
Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.com
The auction captures mechanical complexity in many forms, from calculation and cryptology to instruments of science and philosophy.
Sometimes a function of time and navigation is indicated, for example in the equinoctial dial by Andreas Vogler, which combines a compass, sundial and the engraved latitudes of six European cities in a form of late 18th century pocket navigation system (Lot 201, below, estimate: €2.000–€3.000 / $2,200–$3,300).
At other times a complete universe is created in miniature. In an English table orrery attributed to John Newton & Sons, a geared brass mechanism keeps the Earth, Moon and five carved planets in perpetual motion around a 5-inch brass ball representing the Sun, (Lot 200, estimate: €25.000–€30.000 / $28,000–$33,000).
Meanwhile in Geneva, the Bruguier family had perfected the creation of miniature singing bird automata in princely boxes, such as this silver-gilt example decorated with enameled garlands of wild flowers and an Alpine scene on its lid (Lot 399, estimate: € 25.000–€30.000 / $28,000–$33,000).
Artificial life was not only born in Switzerland. Parisian maker Blaise Bontems was prolific in the creation of singing bird automata in cages. Whereas the majority of his cages had lightweight gilt-wood bases, he also produced a small series in ormolu (bronze doré) and porcelain in reverence to the work of the 18th century master Pierre Jaquet-Droz. Breker’s auction presents a particularly fine model of an architectural cage that resembles an aviary, its base with four Sevres porcelain panels depicting courting couples (Lot 395, below, estimate: €15.000–€25.000 / $17,000– $28,000).
These and more than 600 other high-quality items will be sold at the Auction Team Breker event.