A beautiful quality 8-air antique music box made by the Geneva-based firm Nicole Freres in c. 1860. This is a particularly nice example thanks to both its selection of tunes and the rather lovely case. 

The musical movement has been fully restored to put it in excellent condition with a very nice sound. It plays a combination of operatic and popular airs, including four airs from Gounod's Faust, as detailed on the original tunesheet. Both the tunesheet and bedplate are marked with the box's serial number 40242, dating the box to c. 1860. The movement is wound by a lever, and there is also in interior dustlid.

The case has a very attractive inlay to the lid, featuring a complex musical and foliate device inlaid in tulipwood and kingwood, and accompanied by four corner features in mother-of-pearl.