Lot 289

Presumably Nuremberg, Height 180 mm, circa 1570
A fine, small tabernacle clock dating from the late Renaissance period, with a single hand, hour strike and alarm - decorated with motifs from a series of copper engravings by Virgilius Solis "The Nine Worthies"
Case: copper and bronze, firegilt, engraved, bell tower with engraved ribbons, 2 hammers / 1 bell. Dial: Front - applied later brass hour chapter ring with Roman numerals "I-XII" and Arabic 24 hours, later central alarm disc with Arabic numerals, single blued iron hand, winding arbor. Back - hour strike control dial with Arabic numerals, single blued iron hand, winding arbor. Movm.: iron frame, iron going train, chain/fusee for striking train, gut/fusee for going train, barrel for alarm, verge escapement, later front pendulum.
All sides have been elaborately engraved: the front and back are decorated with typical Mannerism-style tendrils of leaves and ribbons. The engraving on the sides is of outstanding quality; it is inspired by the etchings "Cunnig Artus/King Arther" and "S Elena / Saint Helena" from the series "The Nine Female and Nine Male Worthies" dating from the mid 16th century. The engraving was created by Nuremberg engraver and draughtsman Virgilius Solis (1514-1562).
Virgil Solis or Virgilius Solis (1514-1562), a member of a prolific family of artists, was a German draughtsman and printmaker in engraving, etching and woodcut who worked in his native city of Nuremberg. His prints were sold separately or formed the illustrations of books; many prints signed by him are probably by assistants. After his death his widow married his assistant and continued the workshop into the early seventeenth century.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Solis, as of 07/24/2018.
Provenance: Renowned private collection in Vienna