212,500 CHF
Raingo, Paris, circa 1850. Exceptionally fine and equally rare amboyna wood and ormolu orrery driven by an 8-day going, hour and half-hour striking precision table clock with days of the week. Ormolu mounted drum-shaped amboyna wood base, four amboyna wood columns with Doric ormolu capitals decorated with acanthus leaf pattern, each with square ormolu bases, clock between two columns with ormolu bezel, the columns supporting an ormolu-mounted amboyna wood ring for the orrery, the top of the ring applied with 12 ormolu Zodiac signs, bay-leaf ormolu edge, the inner edge of the ring fitted with a silver annual ring. Notes Most likely made for an aristocratic client in the 1820s, this spectacular object incorporates both an accurate clock and an orrery to calculate the motions of the sun, moon and earth relative to each other throughout the year, in addition to a precision clock with gridiron pendulum. The case of this splendid clock and orrery is of chased ormolu and curled and mottled amboyna wood, carefully chosen and beautifully made.Since man first looked up at the stars he has dreamed of being able to capture their glory and study their mysteries at his leisure. An orrery was one means by which to understand our place in the universe. It consisted of spheres representing the planets of our solar system that would trace out their movements when a handle was turned,The publication in 1543 of Nicolas Copernicus's heliocentric (sun-centered) model of the solar system res Read more…
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2003-11-16
