The Gondoliers Music Box
Artifact ID1982.00950.01
Object Type
Box, Music
Maker
Halcyon Days Enamels
(Bilston, England, UK)
Date
20th Century
Medium
Metal, Enamel
Dimensions1 3/4 × 2 1/4 × 1 1/8 in. (4.4 × 5.7 × 2.9 cm)
Physical DescriptionAn enameled hinged music box that depicts scenes from the opera The Gondoliers. The box has a green border and gold edges.
The inside is gold with a glass insert to see the music mechanism, which plays when opened. The inside of the lid is white, with a bar of music lettered below "'Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes' FROM ACT II OF 'The Gondoliers' First produced in 1889 by The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at the Savoy Theatre, London."
The bottom is white with a gold winding mechanism for the music box. It has the Halycon logo, "HALCYON DAYS ENAMELS ENGLAND," in a wreath under the royal warrant. It is lettered, "In an edition limited to 1000, the number of this box is 339," with the number lettered by hand.
The image on the lid is of two men in 18th-century dresses, both wearing pink coats with gold cuffs, gold waistcoats, blue sashes, pink breeches, white hose, pink buckled court shoes, and powdered wigs tied back in ques. They face each other in a throne room with a black and white checkered floor, an orange curtain, two green thrones, and two large arches leading to the outside.
The front image shows a canal with water and a gondola in the background. A line people stand on a black and white checkered floor: A woman in a white blouse, red bodice, green and red skirt, white, green, and red apron, white hose, black shoes, black choker, and flowers in her hair; woman in a white blouse, green bodice, green, yellow, and white skirt, white hose, black shoes, black choker, and flowers in her hair; a ,am om a black robe, black cape lined in pink, white shirt, black hat, and powdered wig with side curls; a gondolier wearing a white shirt and shorts, blue vest, green and red belt, green boots, and white hat; a gondolier wearing a green shirt, shorts, and vest, blue and red belt, yellow hat, and black boots; a woman in a black bodice, white and red blouse, purple skirt, pink apron, white hose, black shoes, black choker, and flowers in her hair; a gondolier in green shirt and shorts and orange hat; a woman in a black bodice, white blouse, red and white floral skirt, green and yellow apron, white hose, black shoes, black choker, and red kerchief; and a gondolier in a white shirt, blue vest and shorts, orange hat, and tan boots.
On one side, two women and a man are standing on a black-and-white checkered floor in front of a balcony overlooking the water: a woman in a yellow and green gown trimmed in ermine, tall white wig with black lace veil, and a pink fan; a woman in a blue and white gown holding a fan; and a man with a long white wig, black hat, green shirt, yellow short robe trimmed in ermine, orange breeches, white hose, brown buckled shoes, and carrying a staff.
The other side has two women and a man holding hands standing on a black and white checkered floor in front of a low wall with the canal behind it: a woman in red, green, and white floral short jacket and skirt, blue bodice, black fichu, and white hat with red feather; a man with long white wig, black hat, green coat, black gloves, red scarf, purple waistcoat, white hose, and brown boots; and a woman in a yellow and blue gown with paniers, black headscarf, and black hat.
The back side has to the left the woman in the red floral dress from the front side wearing a white hat standing next to a man in a purple coat, yellow waistcoat, orange breeches, white hose and shoes, and black hat. To the right, the woman in the green and yellow dress is wearing a yellow hat and standing next to a man in an orange coat, red waistcoat, brown breeches, white hose and shoes, and black hat. Both couples are looking toward the center, where the two men in pink coats from the lid now stand holding hands with two women in black and white gowns and blue hats.Historical NoteMusic box which depicts a scene from Act II of the comic opera The Gondoliers. The opera, by Gilbert and Sullivan, premiered in 1889 at the Savoy Theater in London, mounted by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. The opera depicts a young noblewoman who arrives in the fictional kingdom of Barataria to meet her betrothed, the king of Barataria, who has been mixed up with the son of a gondolier. Both sons have been raised as gondoliers, and are waiting for the old nurse to identify who is the rightful king. The box plays the song "Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes" which is sung by gondolier Marco Palmieri. It was given during a trip to England June 1982. Number 339/1000.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteThe item was a gift from a foreign official to First Lady Nancy Reagan during the Reagan administration. It was received through the Executive Office of the President Office of Correspondence and maintained there until its transfer to the National Archives in January, 1989 for deposit with the Reagan Presidential Library.
National Archives Catalog CollectionRecords of the White House Gift Unit (Reagan Administration) (National Archives Identifier 6816362) and
National Archives Catalog SeriesGifts from Foreign Officials (National Archives Identifier 6816364)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - Possibly
Use Restriction NoteCopyright or other proprietary rights may be held by individuals or entities other than the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum does not warrant that the use of materials will not infringe on the rights of third parties holding the rights to these works, or make any representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement, treaty, or protections that may apply. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy any copyright or other use restrictions. Pertinent regulations can be found at 36 C.F.R 1254.62.
Country/CultureEnglandUnited KingdomIn Collection(s)
Exhibition HistoryFirst Lady Gallery, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (2011- );
Nancy Reagan: A First Lady’s Style (2007-2008), Ronald Reagan Presidential Library;
Presidential Transportation in the Cold War (2002-2003), Strategic Air and Space Museum (SAC);
Within the Vault (1998), Ronald Reagan Presidential Library