The earliest recorded metal employed by humans appears to be gold, which can be found free or “native”. Small amounts of natural gold have been found in Spanish caves used during the late Paleolithic period, c. 40,000 BC. Gold artifacts made their first appearance at the very beginning of the pre-dynastic period in Egypt, at the end of the fifth millennium BC and the start of the fourth, and smelting was developed during the course of the 4th millennium. Reference: Wikipedia
Some of the most elaborate and valuable automatons are made from gold. Below are some examples and price guides of antique gold automatons including a Continental casket timepiece and a musical watch key.
Manuel Mota, Santiago. A 14K gold keyless wind minute repeating jacquemart full hunter pocket watch with automaton
Date: Circa 1880
Movement: Gilt finish Swiss lever, compensated balance, wolf’s tooth winding, fly ball governor, two polished hammers striking on a gong
Dial: Eccentric white, black Arabic numerals, gilt outer minute dot divisions, subsidiary seconds at 6, gilt Louis XV style hands, green guilloché enamelled background, two gilt female figures striking twin bells resting on foliage
Case: Polished hinged with engraved foliate decoration throughout, No.96243
Signed: Cuvette
Size: 52mm
Sold for £3,825 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2022
A CONTINENTAL ENAMELED GOLD MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE CASKET
THE CASKET, 19TH CENTURY; THE AUTOMATON, CIRCA 1920
Rectangular case on four paw feet, chased with scrolling foliage and musical trophies, each panel set with an enamel plaque, on the cover Apollo and his lute, signed ‘L’ on the bottom right, the sides with musical instruments, the interior revealing on one side, a circular enamel panel featuring a lakeside view, with three vari-colour gold automaton figures of a putto, helped by his mother, dance to the music of a lute player, and on the other side a rectangular panel with an enamel dial with landscape view above in beaded oval frame, on an engine-turned ground enamelled in deep blue, with original key
4 1⁄4 in. (108 mm.) wide
Sold for GBP 27,500 at Christie’s in 2021
A VERY UNUSUAL 14CT GOLD AND ENAMEL AUTOMATON SINGING BIRD BOX overlaid with gold swags and vines. 690 grams. 10 cm x 7 cm.
Sold for £10,000 at Hannam’s Auctioneers Ltd in 2021
A RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL MUSICAL AUTOMATA WATCH KEY
CIRCA 1830
• Movement: gilded, disc plucked by two combs each with six tines, a plate above carrying the motion work for the automata figures, twice numbered to the top plate ?68, possibly 86?, the number repeated to the backplate
• Case: gold, red and turquoise enamel border, one side with vari-coloured enamel floral centre and chased gold flowers and leaves, the other with polychrome enamel love garden view inhabited by dancing figures on a bow-swing, with wire-work winding bow, flanked by two gold nude figures
Sold for 20,000 CHF at Sotheby’s in 2020
