Music boxes with a ballerina: how did they appear and how do they work?

A cute music box with a dancing ballerina is not just an interesting thing that is customary to give to girls, but also an unusual present for an adult woman. The view of the dancing ballerina is mesmerizing, and the beautiful melody relaxes and soothes. For several decades this product has not lost its relevance and still remains a popular gift for women of any age.

The specificity of the music box is the combination of aesthetic and practical functions. Most often, this unusual box is presented as a gift to a girl - here she can store all her rubber bands, hair clips, beads and other accessories. Now the child will not lose his favorite jewelry. A beautiful box instills in the future lady a love of beauty, because, as a rule, it produces classical music and is made in an aesthetic design.

Listening to a beautiful melody, a young lady will be able to imagine herself as a princess, and looking at the slender figure of a ballerina, she will certainly wish to reveal her choreographic abilities. The toy is also good for a child because it starts up easily - even small fingers are able to scroll a special key. The box is made of high quality materials. Models of various colors are on sale: pearl, pink metallic, coral, orange.

Enjoying pleasant sounds and looking at the charming dancer, few people think that the toy has been famous for many decades. The first music boxes appeared at the end of the 19th century in Switzerland. The creator can be considered a watch repairman Antoine Favre, who built a musical mechanism into an ordinary casket. Very quickly, an unusual thing became popular, every girl dreamed of becoming the owner of such an interesting toy.

The first factory for the production of such boxes appeared in 1815 in Switzerland. At the same time, models with moving figures began to enjoy popularity. The customers especially liked the orchestra playing the classics and the dancing ballerina. And today the toy has not lost its popularity. For example, it can often be seen in teachers' offices for music lessons, because this decorative item develops in children a sense of rhythm, melodic and dynamic hearing.

The music box produces sound by means of hardens fixed in a rotating roller or disk, which catch the teeth of the comb and make music. Some models are additionally equipped with a miniature drum and small bells.

Details that the mechanism includes.

• Bed or stand. This is, in fact, the base on which the entire structure is installed, usually it is metal.
• Activation mechanism. As a rule, it is a winding key or crank.
• Spring mechanism. Its purpose is to play a melody lasting from a minute to several hours.
• Comb. It is a metal plate with numerous teeth of different sizes.Short prongs are responsible for high sounds, long ones for low ones.
• Cylinder. A rotating device with pins that catch on the teeth of the comb, giving out sounds. The wider cylinder bore facilitates the playing of longer, more complex music.

Sound quality depends a lot on materials. For example, the specificity of the sound is determined by the steel from which the comb is made. The material of the case is no less important, it must be thin, vibrating and at the same time durable and reliable, that is, capable of holding a product with a musical mechanism.

Among the models there are instances with replaceable cylinders and discs, but these are more outdated options. Caskets are usually classified as hand-held and wind-up. Hand samples require mechanical action, that is, the owner himself controls the sounding process by scrolling a special handle. The winding model involves turning on the mechanism by turning the key - the music plays until the spring runs out of winding.

You can also divide the boxes into children and adults. Everything is clear with children's models - these are small beautiful boxes, most often made in pink. Products differ in shape, they are round, rectangular, in the shape of a heart, there are varieties in the shape of a chest. The design is very diverse, princesses from popular cartoons, fairies, stars, unicorns, hearts, flowers and other delicate decorative elements that girls like so much can be depicted on the case.

The version for an adult woman has a stricter design. Usually these are neutral colors: white, black, brown, gray. The shape is most often standard square, but there are also unusual models, for example, piano-shaped boxes. The instrument cover becomes the podium for the ballerina's dance. The graceful dancer's movements harmonize beautifully with the piano music. In addition to the item, a compact mirror can be attached. Such a grand piano, made in white color with pink upholstery of the inner part, looks very nice. The ballerina in this model is clearly drawn and conveys the emotions of a romantic sophisticated image. She is dressed in a tutu decorated with lace, rhinestones and other ornaments.

A woman of any age will appreciate such an extraordinary gift. The present will become for her a symbol of grace and beauty, will allow her to plunge into dreamy dreams, help her to relax after a hard day at work, and fill the house with a romantic mood.

Next, watch a video review of an antique music box with a ballerina.