Music Boxes Are Still Around

Music boxes are timeless, plain and simple. They have been around for eons. My grandmother had one as a child, my mother had one too and I had several growing up. They are simply an ornament that plays music when wound up or opened.  Some double as a jewellery box while others may be in the form of a stuffed toy. The most common type throughout history was the box that opened up and featured a ballerina dancing to soft music when it was opened.

Today, of course, they are a little more technologically advanced than the ones of the past but those antiques ones can still be found in many antique shops and some people still have some in their home.

I’m not sure what the primary purpose of the music box is but I do know that the memories that are evoked in my mind when I think about mine take me back to a more simple time in my life.  A time when my sorrows could be wiped away just by opening that box and hearing that sweet, soft music playing in my ear!

Musical jewelry boxes exude a feeling of charm and sophistication. These traditional jewelry boxes date back into the 19th century and are made typically from luxurious woods like pine, walnut and oak. Most musical jewelry boxes are designed to start playing when you open the box, while some have hand cranks you must wind to produce the tunes and melodies. Many young girls and women enjoy such jewelry boxes that include a ballerina dancer that springs open and spins as the music plays.

While antique boxes typically feature only a few specific tunes, you can purchase modern musical boxes that play nearly any traditional tune you can imagine. You can also find jewelry boxes today that contain cartoon characters on the exterior of the box and even inside the box as the dancing object that spins as the music plays. While traditional music boxes created music using mechanical gears, modern music boxes often operate electronically on battery power which allows manufacturers to produce a wider variety of musical tunes and melodies for the jewelry boxes.

Antique music boxes are great for collectors of music boxes and make great gifts to be passed down throughout a family. Even the boxes that are not worth a great deal still have the mysticism and beauty that all antique music boxes share.

The first invention of a music box, or what at the time was called a mechanical musical instrument, was invented by the Banū Mūsā brothers (also known for their Islamic astrology, physics, engineering, and geometry). For their device the brothers used the pin comb and cylinder rotating device that is one of the common devices for mechanical music still used today.

From there throughout the 17th and 18th century mechanical musical instruments evolved rapidly. They became birds that sing in a clock to bells that ring. One of the most fascinating forms of a music box is when it can play multiple instruments at once. There are some that can play the traditional music box sound along with bells and miniature drums.

Most girls, or even grown women, ballet dancers or not, would truly love having their own ballerina music boxes. These cute jewelry boxes, which are also usable for other personal accessories, highlight individual ballerinas which dance or move when the lid or a certain drawer is opened. The accompanying tinkling sound or music somehow relaxes the overall senses.

The differently-colored beautiful designs are presented in various styles and shapes. The storage systems and materials are varied as well. Many suppliers and shops allow personally customized classic music, or perhaps even famous movie tunes. Truly, there is a specific, right choice for every female.

These are wonderful items to give as unique gifts to little girls in any celebration or occasion, or to be purchased for personal use by women. Either way, the recipients or users will surely love their respective new possessions dearly. Definitely, these are the perfect places to store jewelry and accessories, while soothing the mind through the calming music.

If one is a collector of antiques to furnish their home or simply for collection sake, they should look into the vintage music boxes on the market today. There are many still around since they were made to take a beating of time, and they have a beauty and mystery about them that amaze many collectors.

These boxes started out as what were called musical snuff boxes, as their owners would appreciate a jolly tune as they reached in for a pinch of snuff. Later they would grow in size to play in ones house hold. The owner of one of these vintage entertainment systems would purchase large disks that they could put into the box that could play entire songs.

There were also primitive forms of jukeboxes around at taverns and restaurants where a customer could put a coin in one of these large music boxes and select a specific song to play. These are great for collectors as they were designed to take a beating from angry customers and have lasted over time.