100th Auction
2019/11/15
Lot 36
French, probably Abbeville, Height 200 mm, circa 1550
An important, early one-handed hexagonal tabernacle clock with hour strike and alarm
Case: copper and brass, firegilt, engraved. Dial: brass, engraved Roman hours, compass rose, single brass hand for indicating the hours, blued hand for alarm. Movm.: hexagonal brass movement in two levels, 12 baluster shaped movement pillars, brass train, 2 long brass fusees with guts on each level, brass barrel for alarm, 2 hammers/1 bell, verge escapement, two-arm brass balance without balance spring.
The firegilt case rests on six lion feet. It is designed as a small hexagonal tower topped with a domed bell tower. The walls are engraved with grotesques, strapwork, coats of arms and Corinthian columns at the corners. The two side panels flanking the dial each have an observation door for checking on the fusee mechanism. The open-work, domed bell tower is decorated with strapwork and cartouches, depicting alternating female and male mascaron engravings. Each of the six corners of the balustrade surrounding the bell tower is occupied by a three-dimensional figure: The four evangelists John, Luke, Matthew and Markus, the apostle Paul and King David. The bell tower is crowned with the figure of Judith, holding a sword and the head of Holofernes.
The earliest portable French clocks still retained Gothic style elements. The use of several Christian elements indicates that the clock was originally made for a high-ranking member of the clergy. The quality of the technical and artistic execution identifies this clock as a remarkable survivor from the 16th century. Museum objects such as this hardly ever appear on the German market.
Two almost identical objects are illustrated and described in: Tardy, Vol. 1, La Pendule Francaise, Paris, 1981, pages 59 and 61.
An important, early one-handed hexagonal tabernacle clock with hour strike and alarm
Case: copper and brass, firegilt, engraved. Dial: brass, engraved Roman hours, compass rose, single brass hand for indicating the hours, blued hand for alarm. Movm.: hexagonal brass movement in two levels, 12 baluster shaped movement pillars, brass train, 2 long brass fusees with guts on each level, brass barrel for alarm, 2 hammers/1 bell, verge escapement, two-arm brass balance without balance spring.
The firegilt case rests on six lion feet. It is designed as a small hexagonal tower topped with a domed bell tower. The walls are engraved with grotesques, strapwork, coats of arms and Corinthian columns at the corners. The two side panels flanking the dial each have an observation door for checking on the fusee mechanism. The open-work, domed bell tower is decorated with strapwork and cartouches, depicting alternating female and male mascaron engravings. Each of the six corners of the balustrade surrounding the bell tower is occupied by a three-dimensional figure: The four evangelists John, Luke, Matthew and Markus, the apostle Paul and King David. The bell tower is crowned with the figure of Judith, holding a sword and the head of Holofernes.
The earliest portable French clocks still retained Gothic style elements. The use of several Christian elements indicates that the clock was originally made for a high-ranking member of the clergy. The quality of the technical and artistic execution identifies this clock as a remarkable survivor from the 16th century. Museum objects such as this hardly ever appear on the German market.
Two almost identical objects are illustrated and described in: Tardy, Vol. 1, La Pendule Francaise, Paris, 1981, pages 59 and 61.
Sold
estimated
23.000—35.000 €
Price realized
31.300 €