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| Image: Harp Gallery |
Seen in FBDO
An automaton bird cage is best seen at 01:06:51 in the film as Jeanie barges into her brother’s bedroom to expose his scheme. The bird cage is located on the shelf-top between Ferris’s computer and his bed. It can also be seen briefly as Mrs. Bueller makes her mid-day check on Ferris.
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| Image: Paramount Pictures |
Description
In the mid-20th century, a delightful novelty item emerged from West Germany: the automaton singing bird in a cage. Delicately crafted brass cages housed feathered songbirds, often brightly colored. Inside, clockwork mechanisms brought the birds to life, their tiny bodies flitting about while they sang.
Often made from high-quality materials like brass and silver, they were intricate and beautiful objects, gracing mantels and side tables. Today, these mid-century automaton singing birds are prized by collectors.
The automaton bird cages typically measured approximately 6” inches across and 11” high and featured lever controls for continuous or intermittent play.
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| Image: Harp Gallery |
Find Your Own
Although they’ll run you anywhere from several hundred dollars into the $2000 range, you can check eBay for a automaton bird cage just like this one!