The Reuge Miroir Magique ("Danseurs 1755") is a rare vintage, electrically powered music box with a disappearing mirror effect and dancing figurines, produced in the 1950s to 1960s. It looks like a framed mirror when off. Switched on, it reveals two Rococo-style couples dancing on a parquet floor, reflected in surrounding mirrored panels creating the enchanting illusion of a full ballroom.
Details:
Made by Reuge, with handmade dolls by the Philippart family. The front panel appears as an ordinary mirror until switched on, when it reveals the two dancing couples described above.
While Manufacturer Reuge has never published an official, total production count for the Miroir Magique (Magic Mirror) shadow box, historical auction listings and collector logs indicate they were produced in highly limited quantities. The total production is widely considered to be fewer than a few hundred pieces.
Swiss Reuge Saint-Croix Music Box
Features two tunes, unusual for Reuge music boxes: Serenade by J. Haydn, and Minuet (Serenade in Es-Dur) by W. A. Mozart
The couples wear silk costumes with fine trim and lace. Faces are hand-painted white beans, hair is sheep's wool, and the women's hats are adorned with real dried florals from Martha Philippart's own garden.
Operates electrically, with separate buttons for the light and the music box on the side
Music box arms lift and lower the dolls in time with the music
Please review all photos for a closer look at condition; photos are an integral part of this report
Couples rotate and lift with the music. The left-side couple sometimes rotates less than the right-side couple depending on the song, though both continue to move up and down between rotations
A date from April 1998 is stamped inside, likely marking when someone opened it for cleaning. This is not the production date; these were produced in the 1950s and 1960s
One gold ribbon on the bottom of one male dancer's pants is half loose
Some discoloration on the fabric, normal with age
Modern lightbulb placed inside
Discoloration on the outer lightbulb cover, on top, from heat from the lightbulb
Minor surface wear consistent with age, as expected on a vintage piece
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