A FINE AUSTRIAN ENGRAVED SILVER-GILT AND ENAMELLED NOVELTY SLEIGH TIMEPIECE MAKERS MARKS S.G. POSSIBLY FOR SIMON GRIMWALD, VIENNA, CIRCA 1880 The Swiss made nickel finish 'five bar' watch type movement with cylinder escapement regulated by sprung monometallic balance and winding from the back, with engraved rear cover and 1.25 inch circular enamel Roman numeral dial painted with a landscape scene with castle ruin, set behind a convex glass and mounted via a hinges into the breast of a engraved cast silver swan forming the front the case modelled as a horse-drawn sleigh, the interior enamelled with polychrome painted scenes of 18th century courting couples to seat and floor between scroll decorated sides, the exterior with conforming figural panels to flanks over sliders incorporating fine strapwork scroll pierced and engraved silver gilt infill, the rear with additional enamel courtship scenes to the back of the seat and the domed lid of the engraved oval-section luggage compartment, the underside with partial marks for Vienna and makers SG possibly for Simon Grimwald.12cm (4.75ins) high, 15cm (6ins) long, 6.5cm (2.675ins) wide.The current lot is a fine example from a very diverse range of novelty silver and enamel wares that were produced in specialist Viennese workshops during the closing years of the 19th century. These wares were reviving techniques from the Renaissance period with many objects being fairly accurate re-creations of masterpieces form the 16th and 17th centuries. The form of the case of the present timepiece is very unusual and may suggest that it was intended for the Russian market as it echoes the form of a traditional Russian sleigh which often incorporated swan motifs.