Lot 421

Xaveri Liebherr

A rare Immenstadt mantel clock with quarter hour strike and lever escapement

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Two angular pillars with obelisks on top rise from a rectangular base, supported by six toupie feet. Between them is a drum-shaped case housing dial and movement. It is crowned by a sculpted figure of a Roman soldier.

Franz Xaver Liebherr (1725-1802) and his sons Joseph and Benedikt are among the most important makers of their time in the Allgäu region. Xaver Liebherr trained with Jerg or Franz Joseph of the famous Mahler family. The superior quality of his later pieces is proof of the excellent training he received earlier in his life - it is alleged that he even worked for Jaquet-Droz. While Liebherr is most famous for his church clocks, his other work is equally treasured today. In 2006 an exhibition in Immenstadt was held to honour the work of the clockmaking families Liebherr and Mahler.