249 - Anonymous - South German Table Clock

Anonymous - South German Table Clock A rare, presumably Augsburg tabernacle clock with quarter hour / hour strike and moon phase Dimensions 285 x 155 x 155 mm, circa 1650, Origin Süddeutschland Case: Bronze, firegilt, square in cross-section, four bun feet, domed base, 2 hammers / 2 bells, rear short pendulum. Dial: Front - applied silver chapter ring with Roman hours, Arabic minutes and Roman quarters, central moon phase display. Back side - quarter hour dial and control dial. Movm.: Iron frame, brass train, chain/fusee, 1 barrel for striking train, iron baluster movement pillars, verge escapement with foliot balance. The closed, tall rectangular tabernacle clock has four smooth display sides. Its front is fitted with a central moon-phase indicator set against a blued background. The two side panels are hinged. The case is decorated with four corner balusters and features two different-sized, superimposed bells, each of which is ornamented with leaf motifs and topped with baluster finials. The lower, larger bell strikes the full hours, while the upper, smaller bell sounds the quarter hours. Regulation is carried out via the two small dials on the back. The clock is driven by a chain/fusee winding system, while the quarter hour strike is powered by a spring barrel. The timekeeping element is a balance (Waagunrast) mounted between two plates beneath the bells. A tabernacle clock is an elaborately designed table or wall clock from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, whose case is shaped like a small, ornate tower. The case generally has a rectangular cross-section, stands on feet or a plinth, and is often surmounted by a dome or small decorative elements known as finials. The finely crafted cases were frequently made of gilt bronze, brass or gilt copper, sometimes incorporating wood or ivory. The heyday of these clocks was during the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries. The principal centres of production were cities in southern Germany, such as Augsburg and Nuremberg, as well as Austria. As table clocks, they were driven by a mainspring, while wall clocks often used weights. Many of these clocks were also equipped with additional functions, such as an hour strike or an alarm. They served as practical everyday objects, but were also prized works of art, status symbols and collectors’ items for princely courts. Case: very good, small restaurations, slightly rubbed. Dial: very good. Movm.: very good, restaurations, capable of running, cleaning recommended.