- Museum number
- 1958,1006.2080
- Description
-
Wall clock with engraved gilt-brass case; verge escapement with balance; weight-driven; striking-train (for hours only); two trains placed side by side; case engraved with coat-of-arms; allegorical figures of 'Spera' and 'Plenaia'; winged cupids' masks.
- Production date
- 1548
- Dimensions
-
Height: 7.25 inches
- Curator's comments
- The following text is the entry for this object from the unpublished catalogue of pre-pendulum clocks by John Leopold, former Assistant Keeper of Horology at the Museum. This information is unedited and should be used accordingly.
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SMALL WALL CLOCK, dated 1548.
Arms of Von Weltz (Welzer).
Ilbert No. ---
Bibliography.
Sale cat. Drouot, Paris, 16-17 Dec. 1916, no.78.
Sale cat. Drouot, Paris, 9-10 Dec. 1925, no.3.
Cat.Ilbert (1958) no.278 (said to be ex Webster, but not app. in the sale).
Hutchinson (1983) no.13.
The arms were identified by Coole as Weltzer von Eberstein; according to Siebmacher they are the general arms of von Weltz (Weltzer).
SIGNATURE.
No signature or mark. There are several repair-inscriptions on the back of the clock: "A W 1870 8/4" (the letters in German script); "E 12950"; "16439" (twice). On the inside of the right-hand door: "AW 1890 1/20"
DESCRIPTION.
Case and dial.
The case is made of brass, gilded on the outside only. Top- and bottom plate are pinned to the frame of the movement; the dial-plate is secured by six lugs at top and bottom fitting into holes of the plates, the back-plate is similarly secured but by four lugs at the bottom and two at the top. The side-doors hinge into top and bottom plates by means of thin lugs (all repaired except right-hand top); they lock by means of sliding catches loaded with a small spring (steel on the left, repaired in brass on the right).
The bottom plate has four holes to accomodate the ropes for the movement. The top plate carries a bell-stand holding the bell with an ornamental washer, and surmounted by a figure of Amor: none of these are original, although the interupted engraving shows that the holes in the top plate are. There is a large filled square hole in the top-plate which probably accomodated the original bellstand.
Ornamental moldings are riveted to the top and bottom edges of the dial-plate and the two doors. The back-plate has riveted at the top a brass strip, the centre portion of which is built up to form a rounded box to protect the balance; the top plate has at the back a rounded portion to cover this. Under the box is the suspension ring; along the bottom edge is a plain strip with two spurs.
The dial consists of a silvered chapterring centred by a gilded disk engraved with a sunburst, and surrounded by a gilded profiled ring. At the raised centre portion the dial-plate is considerably thicker than at the edges (ca.2.5 mm against ca.0.9 mm). The chapterring is marked I - XII with half-hour and quarter divisions. The centre is original but the chaper ring and its surrounding ring (secured by four copper rivets) are not: there are empty holes in the dial-plate under the assembly to show that this is probably the third dial (see conversions). The steel hand is later. Radiography has revealed that there is no engraving under the present chapterring, so the original chapterring will have been a separate part.
At 3 o'clock a small bracket is riveted to the dial-plate; its purpose is not certain but it may have accomodated an arm to hold a candle or taper.
All parts of the case except the back-plate have engraved decoration. The top corners of the dial-plate have two cherubs; the bottom corners each have the arms of Von Weltz with different crests (see commentary), flanked by the date 15 48. Between the arms is scrolled foliage; at 9 o'clock there is a square rose to balance the bracket on the other side.
The bottom plate has a mauresque patern within a dotted border; the top plate has foliage within a similar border. The sides each have an arch with a figure: on the left a winged female figure holding a scepter and an immage of the sun, with the word PLENAIA, on the right a female figure leaning on a square plinth and holding an hourly quadrant, with the word SPERA (the ungilded back of this door has two concentric circles).
The ornamental moldings are engraved with a design of arches.
In the back (and behind it, in the movement) is a hole for a bolt to strengthen the construction of the case (the clock hangs by the back plate only!). These holes have been added later.
Movement.
General.
Posted frame movement, made of iron. Plates at top and bottom, connected by four slender pillars, which are riveted at the bottom and screwed at the top. There are two broad bars, which hold the trains of the movement side-by-side.
All original wheels have the crossings and the inside of the band champhered. All wheels now run in brass bushes.
Going train.
Traincount:
6 | 77 66 36
-- | -- -- -- 17 (x 2)
12-hours ← 72 | 7 12 6
Great-wheel: four crossings, one carrying the pin for unlocking the striking. Ratchet wheel of 8, now with a brass pulley. The original pulley (or, more likely, barrel) was wider, as is indicated by the groove to take the original spring washer.
Second wheel: three crossings.
Contrate and 'scape wheel brass; both are later, as are their arbors and pinions (the pinion . The present contrate replaces the original scape-wheel; it presumably had a pinion of 6. The bottom pivot of the present scapewheel is supported by a later brass arm. The clock has been converted to pendulum, swinging in front of the dial.
The dial-wheel, of brass, is later, as is the present pinion-of-report which is screwed to the great-wheel arbor. The dial-wheel is mounted on a brass post, which is also later. The proportions of the underdial-work suggest that there may have been a 24-hour dial originally.
On the top plate, near the scape wheel, is a riveted piece; the end pointing toward the middle of the clock has been broken off. It is suggested that this may have been a spring associated with disengaging the escapement when setting the clock to time.
Striking train.
Traincount:
4 | 48 54 46
-- | -- -- --
Count-wheel ← 52 | 8 6 6
Great wheel: 6 lifting-pins, four crossings. Ratchet-wheel of 8, now with a brass pulley; the original construction similar to that of the going train. The pinion-of-report is a lantern of four pins (two of brass) soldered into holes drilled in the arbor (clearly a repair; presumably there originally was a lantern of 4 shaped out of the end of the arbor).
Countwheel: disc of brass (probably a replacement) riveted to the steel wheel, which is screwed to the bar (screw now riveted).
Second wheel: three crossings, single disc.
Third wheel: four crossings, stud for locking on the band. The wheel is mounted on a collet, which was roughly divided in 6 when the pinion was cut.
Brass fly; both fly and pinion later.
Detends steel, all between the bars, loaded by a spring (which has subsequently been extended). Right-angle drive for the hammer, the right-angle piece being loaded by a spring screwed to the top plate. The present hammer has a flat collet which is pushed on to the arbor but is not further secured; it probably replaces one with a deeper collet, and part of the arbor, with the pin-hole, may now be missing.
Unwarned striking with unlocking, between the plates (and therefore no friction-fit for the hand). Overlift by a disc on the second wheel and locking on the third.
PERFORMANCE.
Going train: great wheel - 1 rev. per hour.
Escapement: 12,342 beats per hour.
Striking train: great wheel - 13 revs. in 12 hours. In order to ensure that the going did not down before the striking the going may have had a barrel of greater diameter than the striking.
At present the drop per rev. is ca.60 mm, which makes a duration of 24 hours practical.
MEASUREMENTS.
Hight (over-all) - 186 mm;
(without bell-stand and hammer) - 104.5 mm.
Width - 99.5 mm.
Depth - 56 mm.
Movement: distance between the plates - 89 mm.
PROVENANCE.
The writing of the earliest repair-inscription suggests that in 1870 (and, presumably, in 1890) the clock was in a German collection.
Subsequently collection Paul Garnier, Paris. Paul Garnier fils (1834-1916), son and successor of the famous (Jean) Paul Garnier (1801-1870) 1), assembled a large collection of clocks and watches. He bequeathed his French clocks and watches to the Louvre; the remainder was sold at auction, Hotel Drouot, 16-17 Dec. 1916. The present clock is no.78 of the sale (described as "Horloge de table" but the description is otherwise identical to the one below, of 1925, and the date and measurements check).
Much of Paul Garnier's collection was bought at the sale by his nephew and successor Blot-Garnier (1871-1938), himself a person of note: in 1923 he was president of the Chambre Syndicale de l'Horlogerie in Paris. In 1927 Blot-Garnier sold most of the shares in the firm and apparently retired. Already in 1925 he had sold his collection (Coll. M.B.-G..., Hotel Drouot, Paris, 9-10 Dec.1925). The present clock is lot no.3: "Horloge de mur, rectangulaire, en bronze gravé et doré; cadran placé au-dessus de deux écussons d'armoiries avec la date: 1548; sur les côtés, figures allégoriques avec légendes: Spera et Plenaia; dessous à arabesques; couronnement formé par une figurine d'amour. Allemagne, milieu du XVIe siècle. Haut., 19 cent."
Subsequently Ilbert collection. The clock is not mentioned in Ilbert's ledgers and it is not clear when it entered the collection.
Presented by Gilbert Edgar OBE, 1958; reg. CAI 2080.
CONVERSIONS.
The clock appears to have undergone two major conversions.
The first one was the conversion to pendulum, for which the original scape-wheel was discarded and the potence cut off. This will have led to an extensive overhaul, which probably included the replacement of the original dial by something more modern, possibly enamel (there are four empty holes in the dial-plate consistent with this). It is likely that at this time the clock was given a minute hand, which led to the discarding of the original dial-wheel and pinion-of-report. There may originally have been a 24-hour dial (X-ray examination has not shown any traces of an earlier chpaterring under the present one). - The proportions of the top of the case indicate that the original balance had a diameter of ca.50 mm.
The second conversion presumably took place in the 19th century, when the second dial was replaced by the present one (which seems to date from the late-17th-century). The later minute-hand was discarded and a new dial-wheel and pinion-of-report fitted.
COMMENTARY.
This is a highly unusual clock and no clearly similar one is known.
(Discuss the trains. Wheel of 46 puzzling!)
The movement shows several signs of early clockmaking-practice. This is particularly clear in the unlocking of the striking off the greatwheel of the going train, which precludes the use of friction-fit for the hour-hand. Other early features are the very light construction, and the wide divergence between the wheelcounts of the two trains (for which see interoduction). The general construction is unusual, with the trains side-by-side and retained by a single pair of bars, which make this almost into a plated movement. - The little bracket on the dial, possibly for a taper-holder, appears to be unique.
The arms in the lower corners of the dial are those of the noble family von Weltz (also Weltzer), who were important in the Salzburg area. This is the usual version of the arms, in which the original arms of von Welz are quartered with those of the extinct family von Tennberg (augmentation granted by the Archbishop of Salzburg in 1361). The arms are commonly displayed with the two helmets and crests here shown at left (von Weltz) and right (Tennberg). (Siebmacher N.Öst. Taf.263; O.Öst. Taf.531).
The figures and text on the doors are somewhat puzzling. The winged female figure holding the sun is clearly TRUTH; the other tells the time by the sun. The combination would appear to be a version of "Truth is the daughter of Time". The inscriptions are less clear. The word Spera, a version of sphaera "globe", was in the 15th-16th century commonly used for the dial or hand of a clock, and could thus refer to the ray of sunlight on the quadrant. Plenaia is unexplained.
The paterns for the figures has not been found, but belong stylistically to the Danube-school.
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1) For the Garnier family see Tardy (1971-2); Congrès (1923) VIII, X; Allix (1974) and personal communications. For the elder Paul Garnier see A.Beillard, Recherches sur l'Horlogerie (Paris s.a.[1895]) 174-7 with portrait.
Is the figure with SPERA climbing out of a grave? For this figure compare Chapuis, De Horologiis, p.25 (Martin Zasinger) [also ditto, Swiss Watch, pl.I (Urs Graf)].
Check any motto of the Weltz family; also is there someone important in ADB?
For the difference between going and striking compare no. (CAI 3126).
Note in the file: "28th February 1966. Beresford Hutchinson worked on this clock: "cleaned and overhauled. Pendulum, hammer and striking arbor made."
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BIBLIOGRAPHY (Pauline Wholey – 2019)
Garnier (1916) Auction cat. coll. Paul Garnier (Paris), Paris, Hotel Drouot, 18 23 December 1916.
Ilbert (1958) Auction cat. coll. Courtenay A. Ilbert, London, Christie, 6 7 November 1958.
Hutchinson (1983) - B.Hutchinson, Orologi antichi (Milan 1983). Page numbers refer to the introduction, which is followed by numbered descriptions.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Latest: 2 (Oct 2015)
- Acquisition date
- 1958
- Acquisition notes
- The Ilbert Collection of clocks, prints and other related material was destined to be sold at Christie's auction house on 6th-7th November 1958. As a result of the generous donation of funds by Gilbert Edgar CBE the sale was cancelled and the material purchased privately from the beneficiaries of the Ilbert Estate.NL1Ilbert's watches were then acquired with further funds from Gilbert Edgar CBE, public donations and government funds. These were then registered in the series 1958,1201.
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1958,1006.2080
- Additional IDs
-
Previous owner/ex-collection number: CAI.2080 (Ilbert Collection)