Hummingbird in a Jar

Wind up music box automaton.

I remember the first time I saw a hummingbird. It was in the wild and up close. The agility, speed and elegance blew me away. I find myself every so often returning to the pursuit of capturing the elegance of this creature in Automata. Here is another such endeavor. This hummingbird Automaton is cast in pewter metal and driven by a spring powered music box. Wind up the key then sit back and watch this little Hummingbird flap his wings to the tinkling tune of the music box. I have made these so that they can be displayed either way up, depending on your preference. The jar is made of glass with a wooden bamboo lid. The beak, shafts and supports are made of brass. The tune is somewhere over the rainbow. My hope is that this little bird will give many small moments of wonder to those passers by who have ten seconds and a twist of the wrist to spare.