An exhibition-quality music box made by the prestigious firm of Samuel Troll in Geneva, Switzerland in c. 1870. 

This spectacular example has a movement with 10 engraved bells surmounted by bird finials and struck by lovely bee strikers, as well as a central skin drum struck by axe head strikers. 

Each set of five bells can be disengaged at will, as can the drum. The cylinder is unusually long (21” / 53cm), resulting in this being a large and important music box. 

It plays a superb selection of 12 operatic airs as detailed on the original tunesheet, including Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio’ (featured in the video), Bellini’s ‘La Norma’, Gounod’s ‘Romeo and Juliette’, and Meyerbeer’s ‘L’Africaine’, all with a bright sound. 

The movement is housed within a fine quality rosewood case with floral inlays. 

An important, hard-to-find and impressive music box.