$4,600
Japanese, late Edo period. Made circa 1850. Fine and rare, rectangular, rose wood, “Shaku Tokei” pillar clock. Accompanied by a wooden box with six additional time scales for different seasons. Glazed top housing the movement, lower section for the weight and the time scale. Rectangular, 71 x 39x 39 mm., gilt brass, pierced and engraved with floral pattern, verge escapement, two-arm brass balance, three-wheeltrain, turned pillars.Dim. 53 x 51 x 320 mm. Notes The descending weight provides the motive force for the movement as well as the indication of time. The method of timekeeping in Japan at this period was based on a day divided into two parts – from sunrise to sunset and from dusk to dawn. Each part was divided into six hours. As the duration of daylight and night hours vary in length in accordance with the seasons, it was necessary to provide for these variances with the different time scales. This clock is unusual for the fact that it has interchangeable scales to account for these differences. The majority of this type of clock has adjustable hour markers, which need to be manually adjusted for the seasons.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2005-03-23
