A FAMOUS silver swan is preparing for its first public performance today following three months of restoration.

The 235-year-old musical automaton will once again enchant audiences at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle.

Its twice-daily show was halted in August so it could be stripped down and cleaned by horologist Matthew Read and his team.

However, to preserve it for future generations, performances will now be reduced to only once a day, at 2pm.

Mayor of Barnard Castle, John Yarker, hopes its return will provide a welcome boost not only for the museum, but for the town.

“It’s absolutely priceless. It is like the mask of Tutankhamun – a special oneoff.

“People travel from far and wide to see it, among other things, and when they do come, they spend money in the town.”

Speaking last night, museum spokeswoman, Sheila Dixon, said: “We have dealt with a lot of inquiries about the swan and we do expect a lot of people, especially around Christmas time, to come and have a look at it again.”

Dating from about 1773, the life-sized swan, controlled by three clockwork mechanisms, has enchanted museum visitors through four centuries.

Possibly made for export to China, but never actually sold, it was toted around Europe as part of a sideshow before being bought by John and Josephine Bowes for £200 in 1872.

The silver swan rests on a stream made of twisted glass rods interspersed with silver fish.

When the mechanism is wound up, the glass rods rotate, the music begins, and the swan twists its head and appears to preen its back.

It then bends down to catch a fish, which it then swallows as the music stops and it resumes its upright position.

The performance lasts about 40 seconds.

‘‘As a result of this project we know a lot more about the swan than we did before, which is important as it enters a new chapter in its history,”

said museum director Adrian Jenkins.

“Of course, how many chapters the swan has left in its life will depend on us and future generations, because it is we who determine the degree of pressure we put it under each time we crank up the ancient mechanism.”

From next spring a new Silver and Metals Gallery will act as an introduction to the swan.