Lot 268

Presumably Augsburg, Height 660 mm, circa 1660
A single hand, baroque-style Congreve altar clock of museum quality, with half hour/hour strike and acoustic minute indication by means of a lion’s head automaton
Case: ebonised wood/silver wire/paste stones/coral. Dial: firegilt brass, silvered chapter ring, front pendulum. Clock Movement: rectangular brass full plate movement, 2 barrels, 1 hammer / 1 bell, locking plate, verge escapement, winding bypass for striking train. Automaton Movement: rectangular brass full plate movement, 1 barrel, chain/fusee, lever system, 2 steel balls.
This baroque-style bracket clock has a large, impressive case made from ebonised wood and is lavishly decorated with bevelled stones set in silver and delicately applied silver wire. The tabernacle-shaped body sits on a wide, stepped and moulded base with four bun feet and has two volutes with silver filigree work on the sides. Front and back are each flanked by two spiral-twist columns with silver bases and Corinthian capitals. A brass pyramid with serpentine track for one/two ball(s) rolling down for the half hour and hour strike, respectively, sits on the stepped and moulded pediment. A central three-dimensional silver lion’s head on the front of the pediment opens and closes his mouth in the space of a minute. A spectacular branched coral in the centre of the pyramid serves as a striking top ornament. The gilt brass dial is decorated with silver filigree petals studded with paste stones. In their midst is the fitted silvered chapter ring with inlaid Roman numerals. A silver filigree flower with inset light blue stone serves as the bob of the fast swinging front pendulum.

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