Sorrento REUGE 3/72 Music Box 72 Notes Inlaid Burl Wood

This auction is for a magnificent Sorrento Specialties / Reuge, hand crafted Music Box.

It use a Reuge 3/72 music box movement that has 72 notes (pins) and plays three selections.

Made of solid burl wood with an inlaid design on the top, of three flowering bulbs. The inlay is done with appears to be at least six different types of wood.

The music box is made in the shape of a book, with the front cover lifting up to reveal (under glass) the Reuge movement The hinge is a piece of artfully trimmed fine leather. It is 8 inches by 11 inches in size, and is 2 3/4" thick.

On the base it has 4 brass feet, a "Made in Italy" paper label, a "SORRENTO SPECIALTIES" paper label, and the impressed model number: 394

On the inside of the lid is the pictured Reuge label that reads:

REUGE  SAINTE-CROIX  MUSIC  SWITZERLAND  Hungarian Rhapsody (3 Parts)  Franz Liszt  CH 3/72  37210

It is in excellent condition with no damage and plays superbly. My photos do not do justice to the wonderful inlaid woodwork on the lid.

The Reuge Company has been an authorized dealer of music boxes since 1976. However, the first Reuge music boxes were created well before that time. In 1865, Charles Reuge settled in Switzerland to make musical pocket watches. Over the years, with the help of family members and investors, Reuge developed into a mechanically advanced company while still preserving its traditional values and designs.

Charles Reuge's son, Albert, opened a music box counter for selling Reuge products in 1886. Somehow, the company survived through the war and subsequent economic crisis and built the Reuge Factory in 1930, which is still in use today. By 1983, Reuge Music USA Ltd. was established and it merged with the well-known music box design company Sorrento Specialties. With their collaboration, finely crafted Italian music boxes and other musical collectibles were formed.

Today, the Reuge Company makes some of the most unique and appreciated music box styles on the market.

As far as I can tell, this model Music Box is no longer in production. I found ones by Sorrento with 3/72 Reuge movements  that were quite similar to this one, priced at $1,800. The company (   http://www.musicboxattic.com/  )   that sells many Sorrento Music Boxes, lists a number of similar 72 note Reuge Music Boxes at prices from $1,600 to over $3,000:

http://search.store.yahoo.net/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=musicboxattic&.autodone=http://store.yahoo.com/musicboxattic/nsearch.html&query=72&Submit.x=13&Submit.y=9

Please message with any questions. SOLD WITH NO RESERVE.

Buyer will pay actual Postal Priority or Postal Parcel Post mail shipping charge. There is no Buy it Now price. I do not end auctions early for "offers".