Pair of musical boxes, 19th century

Pair of musical boxes, 19th century.
Wood, brass, iron and gilded bronze.
In need of restoration and tuning.
Nicked combs, rollers with faults.
Measurements: 12 x 31 x 16,5 cm; 11 x 31 x 16 cm.
The modern music box was created in the 19th century. It works by means of rivets located on a rotating cylinder or disc, which produce the sound when touched by a metal brush. They were developed based on a type of 18th century music box called "carillons á musique". Modern music boxes could be of any size, from small enough to fit in your pocket to examples that took up the space of a piece of furniture. They were made by artisan watchmakers, and during the 19th century most of their production was concentrated in Switzerland. The first cases of the 18th century used metal discs, the system being changed to a cylinder after the Napoleonic wars.