Bidspirit auction | French Windup Singing Bird Automaton

French Windup Singing Bird Automaton - Height: 22 inches. This is a late 19th-century coin-operated mechanical singing bird automaton. The piece features a taxidermy bird with iridescent blue, green, and orange-yellow plumage perched on a metal cross-bar within a tall, octagonal brass wire cage. The cage is constructed with twisted wire supports and is topped by a large brass ball finial with an integrated ring handle. The cage rests upon a large, tiered octagonal base made of wood and gilded gesso. The base is decorated with molded floral swags, scrolling foliage, and beaded borders, finished in a matte gold-tone color. The automaton includes a separate iron key with a star-shaped bow and a large hand-crank featuring a turned wooden handle. The base is equipped with a coin slot on the top surface, a winding hole on the front face, and a keyhole near the bottom edge. There are no other visible maker's marks or signatures on the exterior of the base or cage.