Vintage 14K Gold Mechancial Carousel

Clockwork automatons and mechanicals were a great fancy of the wealthy, toys for adults as well as children to delight in as early as the 15th century. We know that Marie Antoinette had a collection, and of course Faberge made them famous in the 1800’s as the obsession of the Tsar. These were a combination of the watchmaker, music box and jewelers arts. Usually made in gold the value lies in the craftsmanship rather than the intrinsic value of the metal, which is minimal even for charms this large. In the 20th century after years at war the 1950’s were a boon in luxury objects, charm bracelets had an upswing in popularity (they never seen to actually go out of style) and the trades and arts learned making military machines translated into wonderful mechanical charms. Miniature racing horses, music boxes in phonographs that turned and radios and jukeboxes, dangled from lucky wrists. It was a time of big dreams and big charms. These were pricey, and made as ordered for the most part; today they are few and far between, and sadly often no longer function. If you find a jeweler who understands them and has the art and patience to fix then you have a gem – treat him/her well! I have a gold radio music box with a sapphire which i dream will someday play again. Here is a link to a current auction for a dream of a charm CLICK HERE