This is a wonderful piece of carved Black Forest folk art that is also a music box. The piece has a Black Forest bear that is nicely carved with inset beaded eyes. In front of the bear there is a brass ashtray with cigarette supports while behind the bear there is a place to support a box of matches. A small lever in front of the ashtray when depressed opens the cigarette drawer. This also activates the music box. When the drawer is closed the the music stops playing. As stated on the underside of the box, the song is “Nach Regen scheint Sonne Schweizerklange”. A rough translation is “After rain, the sun shines.”

The piece measures 6 inches tall, 4 1/8 inches wide, and is 4 7/8 inches deep. It is in good, antique condition. There are some small scratches in the wood surface along with a few abrasions that have removed some of the dark walnut stain. The wood on the left front upper corner has separated about 1/32nd inch as a result of age drying and has created a very tiny warp. This has not weakened the integrity of the box and it is barely noticeable. When the lever is pushed the cigarette drawer opens smoothly and the music box plays well. The brass ashtray has minor age oxidation that has darkened the surface to create a nice patina.
Carved pieces of Black Forest ware such as this were usually made around 1920 by master carvers in Brienz, Switzerland. They are becoming more and more difficult to obtain, especially in good working condition. When you can locate a piece such as this, they are usually very expensive.

You can shop with confidence at Sweetpea Cottage. YOUR SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED. If you wish to return your purchase for any reason at all we will gladly refund your purchase price minus shipping. Within three days of receiving your item, simply notify us by email that you wish to return it. When we receive your purchase in original condition in a timely fashion, then we will refund the full purchase price. The buyer will be responsible for return shipping.