Very Large Polyphon "mikado" No. 54 Plates 64 Cm 19th Century Music Box

Rare and impressive disc-playing Polyphon, made circa 1895–1900 by Polyphon Musikwerke in Leipzig. This large mechanical instrument is housed in an elegant two-part mahogany cabinet of eclectic design, blending neo-classical elements with finely worked decorative details. The façade is flanked by turned and fluted columns, topped with a sculpted pediment. The glazed door is decorated with a painted panel of circular motifs, revealing the mechanical interior.

The lower section, fitted with a gilt-bronze handle, opens to a compartment designed to store the discs. The set retains its complete collection of 26 large metal discs, each of an impressive 64 cm diameter, allowing performances of exceptional musical richness. The larger the disc, the greater the number of pins and the size of the comb, resulting in enhanced harmonic complexity and extended playing time.

The mechanism, fully complete and in working condition, is powered by a spring wound with a side crank. It is fitted with a functioning coin-operated system, accompanied by a supply of original tokens. The duplex steel comb, with 159 teeth, produces a powerful, clear and remarkably refined sound, amplified by the monumental size of the cabinet, which acts as a resonating chamber.

The repertoire includes internationally famous works, among them Johann Strauss II’s celebrated waltz “An der schönen blauen Donau”, a testament to the worldwide appeal of such instruments at the turn of the 20th century. Used both in bourgeois interiors and public venues (cafés, hotels, salons), such large Polyphons represented the pinnacle of mechanical musical technology before the rise of the phonograph and gramophone.

A highly rare object, it embodies both the refinement of late 19th-century German cabinetmaking and the ingenuity of mechanical music-making. A museum-quality collector’s piece, appealing to connoisseurs of antique instruments and historians of music alike.

Dimensions:
Height: 230 cm
Width: 83 cm
Depth: 50 cm
Disc diameter: 64 cm
Number of discs: 26