236 - Anonymous - South German Table Clock

Anonymous - South German Table Clock A high-quality, South German, single-hand, square-cased table clock with hour strike Dimensions 90 x 140 x 140 mm, circa 1640, Origin: Austria, Accessories Case: Fire-gilt bronze case, molded, side panels engraved with floral and animal motifs, sound hole, baluster feet, hinged base plate engraved on both the inside and outside. Dial: Bronze, fire-gilded, openworked, richly decorated corner spandrels with mascarons, applied silvered chapter ring with radial Roman hour markers, florally engraved and gilded center, single blued iron hand, Movement: Square brass movement, screwed-on silvered appliqués, chain/fusee, 1 hammer / 1 bell, 1 barrel for the striking train, locking plate for the striking mechanism, verge escapement, large three-arm iron balance, openworked and engraved balance cock featuring mythical creatures. A horizontal table clock is a portable, flat timepiece from the Renaissance and Baroque periods (16th to 17th centuries), with its dial positioned horizontally on the upper surface and intended to be read from above. They were generally round or square, hexagonal, or octagonal cases made of gilt brass or bronze, often richly decorated and engraved. The dial was set horizontally into the top plate, often featuring just a single hour hand. This design was made possible by the invention of the mainspring and the fusee mechanism in the 16th century, allowing clocks to operate independently of pendulums and gravity in any position. Many examples were designed as astronomical clocks or alarm clocks and, in addition to the time, displayed the date, the phases of the Moon, or the position of the Sun. They were intended less as practical everyday objects than as precious works of art, status symbols, and collector’s items for princely courts. Case: very good, slightly rubbed. Dial: very good. Movement: very good, in working order, cleaning recommended.