Wooden music box XL "hand-painted Flamingo" from the Czech Republic

A music box or music box is a musical instrument that belongs to the lamellophones that play a melody after winding. There are also music boxes that are powered by hand and a pendulum. Furthermore there are music boxes that play music when you pull a string. The string is slowly wound up again by the rotating drum. On the drum, which is moved by a spring or by hand, there are pegs which, by touching strips of metal, determine the tone and the rhythm. The strips are on a comb and are cut to ever-increasing lengths, so that each has a different pitch. The first drums with pegs were made by a whistleblower in Flanders in the 14th century. These pins drove hammers that beat the bells. The invention of the music box is attributed to the clockmaker Antoine Favre-Salomon in Geneva in 1796. During the 19th century, various elements were added to the mechanics. The development of devices that can automatically play music on command is the theme of the Museum Speelklok in Utrecht.