Lot 155

Probably Augsburg, Height 320 mm, circa 1630
A gilt crucifix clock with stackfreed and hour strike - a rare and early example of a late, so-called "cercles tournants" clock
Case: copper, firegilt. Dial: firegilt ball with bronze chapter ring. Movm.: circular brass full plate movement, 2 barrels, 1 hammer / 1 rear bell, verge escapement, locking plate with internal teeth, stackfreed, three-arm iron balance without balance spring.
The dial in the form of a globe rests on top of the cross, above the crucified Christ and the inscription INRI. The cross is flanked by the figures of the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist and the group is supported by a round, hinged plinth decorated with engraved flowers. The movement sits underneath. The curved circular base is engraved with strapwork and pomegranates and contains the bell, which is enclosed by a pierced colonnade. The early movement with stackfreed regulation is elaborately ornamented with applied foliage, the three-arm iron balance is decorated with a crocodile-like beast.
Crucifixion clocks form by far the largest group among the timepieces with a religious motif. This is due to the contemporary "memento mori" theme as a reminder of the transient nature of human existence. In the course of a century, a large number of pieces in various styles were created; most of them show the crucified Christ in the company of the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, with a skull and crossbones at the foot of the cross. Some few versions show Christ alone.