Johann Schmidtbaur

Johann Schmidtbaur, Bamberg Fecit, circa 1740. Extremely fine and rare silver and silvered brass, hours and quarters striking and repeating travelling clock with alarm, in original leather fitted travelling box with gilt decoration. Two body rectangular with cut-out corcars, glazed side panels with gilt borders, four acanthus feet and folding handle at the top, entirely engraved with foliage and formai decoration, the back door with inset bell. The face repousse with scrolls, acanthus leaves and caryatids, a laurelled portrait below the dial, small champleve fast/slow regulator at the top. Silver champleve with Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute ring and inner revolving alarm setting disc. GiIt brass Louis XV hands. Shaped full plate with turned pillars, fusee with chain, verge escapement, plain steel three-arm balance, flat balance spring and gilt brass cock pierced and engraved with scrolled foliage. Striking train with fusee and chain, repeating the quarters before the houres and and striking hours and quarter on the bell. Alarm train with fixed barrel, striking on the same bell. The back plate border engraved with water leaves decoration. Signed on the back plate. In very good condition. Dim. 17 x 12 x 6 cm. Notes This is a rare and extremely fine example of an early baroque German travelling clock. Johann Schmidtbaur is known to have worked in Augsburg, Banberg and Donauwôrth, he died in Bamberg on 31 January 1757.