Some while ago I asked whether somebody would know something about
two different small music boxes, and I posted some pictures showing
these music boxes.

Unfortunately I got no reply until today.  I can hardly believe that
I own two boxes which are so rare that nobody within the MMD community
never has seen them.  So I am going to post the same text again,
looking forward to get some reply:


1.  Subject: Unknown Cast Metal Music Box
    See photos at http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/grein_musicbox.html

Recently I bought a small music box from a German flea market.  Never
before I have seen something looking and sounding similarly.  The case
is made from very heavy pot metal, looking like an old English castle.
But the graphical design and a figure, similar to an eagle, are looking
as if the box wood come from the far east.  On top of the roof there is
a flag or a pennant which serves as the key to wind the movement.

The movement drives a red plastic cylinder, pinned with steel pins,
which are playing a 24 note comb.

Two brass bells are ringed periodically by a separate simple eccentric
mechanism.  All the pins and the comb are in good shape but the movement
does not really play a melody, it just produces some sound, from time
to time the two bells are ringing and all together it reminds me to a
Chinese temple music.

On the front side of the box as well as on the back one can open a
flap.  When opening either one of these flaps the movement starts to
play.  Inside is a plastic construction and it looks as if it is made
to hold cigarettes.  So the whole machine could be a cigarette
dispenser.

The photos show the box and some details.  Does anyone know anything
about this instrument?


2.  Subject: Unknown 38-Note Cylinder Music Box
    See photos at http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/greinacher1.html

Two weeks ago I was able to buy a small cylinder music box with 14
interchangeable cylinders.  I asked the man who sold it about this box,
and in addition at least around 20 people here in Germany, but nobody
knows who made the box, when it was made and what it is called.  I
could not find it in the Bowers' Encyclopedia nor anywhere else.

The wooden case is made from walnut, and it measures 175 mm by 110 mm
by 150 mm (breadth x height x depth).

Inside is a keywound movement, a 38-note comb.  Its scale is:

  G  G  A  C  C  D  E  F  G  G  A  H  C  D  E  F  G  G G#
  A  A  H  H  C  C  C  D  D  E  E  E  F  F F#  G  G  G  A

The cylinders are made from thin iron and can be changed by drawing
them from the supporting cylinder arbor and taking them out of the case
through a small lid or door on the right side of the case.

I have 14 different cylinders for this box, and the melodies on these
cylinders indicate that they were made in or for a German speaking
country, and let me guess that they were made before or just around
1900.  The pictures show the box, outside and inside, and a close-up
view of one of the cylinders.

Is there anybody who knows something about this music box?  Who made
it, where and when?  I would appreciate all pieces of information.

Now hoping again for some answers!

Christian Greinacher