cblev65252
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posted on May 1, 2006 07:33:27 AM
This is a music box shaped like a tooth. For it's size (3" tall) it's heavy at 1-1/2 pounds. I'm not sure what the music is that it plays, but it's short and sweet. It may be some Japanese tune. It's silver and gold and stamped Sankyo. On the bottom it's stamped 1 and 7 on two of the feet. I know about Sankyo and that they manufacture music boxes. Any one have any clue how I can date this? I know they started making music boxes in the 1940's, but I haven't been able to find one remotely like this one.
Also, the stem that is usually up to stop the music box when the lid is closed has dropped inside the box. It's not lost because when you hold the box upside down the stem comes up. Any ideas on how to fix that? I really don't want to take the thing apart because I'd probably never get it back together again. Where would I take it to have that part fixed?
It looks like the metal work was hand tooled (it's not smooth on the outside at all). Any idea what an official name for that type of metal work would be called? It's a distinctly Japanese design.
Cheryl
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bregmanl
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posted on May 1, 2006 07:47:30 AM
Do not touch it. You have the right information. Sell it as Vintage, and you will be OK. Good Luck
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photosensitive
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posted on May 1, 2006 08:05:33 AM
Pitch it to dentists for their office decor or as a gift to your favorite dentist. We have had good luck with pharmacist and doctor related material and I expect it could work for dental related items too.
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The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
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ladyjewels2000
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posted on May 1, 2006 08:07:51 AM
With that weight - could it be bronze with silver/sterling?
It's just lovely.
I think you have to identify the metal before you will know what the work is called??
Maybe you need to take it to a Jeweler and have the metal tested.
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cblev65252
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posted on May 1, 2006 08:29:38 AM
It could be plated silver. I can have it tested and I may do just that. When you see it's size, the weight is surprising!
Cheryl
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longtime1
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posted on May 1, 2006 09:37:50 AM
I was in Tokyo last year and saw this exact item, or something extremely close, for sale in the tourist shops. 2500 yen
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mikes4x4andtruckrepair
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posted on May 1, 2006 09:45:40 AM
You may want to contact the Music Box Society International http://www.mbsi.org/index.php about it and see if they can help. I think they would be the best people to help you properly identify and possibly value it for you. Their email address listed on their website is [email protected] .
 Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein
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cblev65252
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posted on May 1, 2006 10:04:46 AM
longtime
Thanks, but I know this is not recently made. So, you may have seen something similar, but probably not exact. Lucky you to have gotten to go to Tokyo! Must have been a wonderful trip.
mike
I'll contact them. Thanks for the site address.
Cheryl
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longtime1
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posted on May 3, 2006 06:25:16 PM
Cheryl.....I was there on business, and my main memory is the extremely long plane trip there and back. If you're sure that your piece is not recent then I'm sure that the pieces I saw were just reproductions of your very pretty earlier piece. Good luck with it and do let us know how things turn out.
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ladyjewels2000
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posted on May 3, 2006 07:19:58 PM
Cheryl
I was wondering what the inside looks like?
Could it hold anything.
Longtime - that's exactly what I was thinking as well. If it turns out to be gold and silver or bronze and silver - well then this could very well be of the original period piece for what you say in the airport.
[ edited by ladyjewels2000 on May 11, 2006 08:57 AM ]
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hwahwa
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posted on May 3, 2006 07:25:11 PM
The Japanese make solid iron paperweights,so this could be solid iron.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
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fenix03
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posted on May 3, 2006 07:56:43 PM
The Japanese also make cartoon cats with no mouth. Could it be one of those?
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
People put their hand on the bible, and swear to uphold the constitution. They do not put their hand on the constitution, and swear to uphold the bible.
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ladyjewels2000
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posted on May 11, 2006 08:58:24 AM
Did you find out anything on this piece?
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cblev65252
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posted on May 12, 2006 05:18:34 AM
Ladyjewels
The third photo down shows what you see when you open the lid. Two of the screws look like replacements because they don't match at all. I'm afraid to take it apart. . .I would probably end up with four screws that don't match. LOL!
I really haven't been able to find out anything on this piece. It still looks like a tooth to me. Maybe for the Japanese it has a special meaning. Who knows? The music box company couldn't tell me anything either. They did give me the email of someone who might be able to help. I just haven't had time. . .mistakingly bought a Dell computer and now I'm paying the price. . .it's JUNK! I've had it two weeks and it hasn't worked right. I've spent too many hours on the phone to India with tech support. Finally, after two weeks and threats from me to contact their CEO, I'm getting a new 'puter sent to me. OTOH, the 19" flat screen monitor it came with is marvelous! 
Cheryl
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hwahwa
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posted on May 12, 2006 05:54:21 AM
CHERYL,
I emailed my Japanese supplier with your photo,they should be able to tell us what it is.
My guess is that its shape is a golden nugget ,unlike the Chinese version which is flat bottomed,this one has 4 legs.
It is not a tooth.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
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ladyjewels2000
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posted on May 12, 2006 06:19:03 AM
I see the inside now-duh!!
I thought it may have been a sewing case but I guess not.
Sorry but it still looks like a tooth to me.
It's a shame about the Dell - I thought they were good computers.
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cblev65252
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posted on May 12, 2006 02:27:12 PM
Yup, they can call the shape whatever they want but to me it will always be my molar music box. LOL!
Cheryl
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