27,600 CHF
Theseus and the MinotaurTambour watch, German, circa 1570. Extremely rare and important gilt metal tambour-shaped, single hand, hour-striking clock watch with iron movement, stackfreed, foliot and hog's bristle regulator. Gilt metal, hinged to the case, twelve tactile knob markers for night reading, outer Roman 1 to 12-hour chapter rin, engraved inner quarter-hour divisions and innermost chapter with Arabic 13 to 24-hour numerals in the German style, pin-hole for setting the striking, the centre with Mauresque pattern. Blued-steel hand. Notes The symbolism of the case is quite unusual and seems to focus on fire; the horseman dressed as a Roman commander jumping into the fire, the band, in typical Renaissance fashion (see for instance Spitzenbuch und rnamentzeichnungen, Germany, 16th century) pierced with torches. A torch symbolises life itself, life which was made possible by the knight's sacrifice. The dial cover, between the hour openings, has Minotaur figures, which, again, probably refers symbolically to the knight's bravery.Among the few known surviving watches of this type, four are similar to the present lot: Louvre ('Les montres et horloges de table du museé de Louvre' by Catherine Cardinal, Vol. 2, No. 21). Kunstgewerbemuseum (inv. Nr. K 4704) One sold by Herve Chayette, Paris, on July 4, 1989 (lot 156) One from the Mallet collection illustrated, among others, in Baillie's Watches.Only the watch from the Louvre is marked; it is stamped 'HK'. Its movement
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2001-03-31
