I was flipping channels and watched a few minutes of the Antique Road
Show.  The segment featured a bird box in excellent condition.  The
"expert" said that the lid on the box with a picture of a character
presumed to be Rasputin, the notorious Russian prophet.  The theory was
that the box was originally made in Switzerland and that the Rasputin
lid was a replacement for the original lid which probably had a
pastoral scene on it.

Another interesting detail was the outer "cover" box which had the
label "Hammer - New York & Palm Beach" which the expert said was from
Armand Hammer who brought many European treasures to the U.S. markets
in the early part of the century.

The box seemed to be in excellent working condition -- the bird moved
left and right while flapping its wings and chirping.  The sound was
soft but could be heard over the din of the roomful of hopeful treasure
owners.

The couple who bought the box reported that it was purchased from a
collector in Florida who had three similar boxes, but didn't care much
for this item as he/she thought it was ugly.  The estimated value was
$10,000 to $15,000.

I know that these boxes have been discussed here in the past and
I thought I would report the sighting.  If this particular box has
been previously discussed, please forgive my shortsightedness!

Steve Matta