152,500 CHF
“The Grand Castle Rolling Ball Clock” Probably South German. Made in the late 17th century. Very fine and spectacular, musical, painted, laquered and mirrored wood table clock in the form of a castle with four dials and helical rolling ball activated musical mechanism powering the lift of the ball. In the form of a four-square castle, decorated throughout with polychrome painted trompe l’oeil, inclined base painted to simulate brickwork with arched windows and slits, seven tiers supported by polychrome painted half-pillars and surmounted by a domed cupola, the interiors with checkerboard and strapwork floors and mirrored walls, some painted with figures, each tier balustraded and with a small corner turret, the tier below the dials enclosing the helical channel for the rolling ball, from the helix the ball traverses the periphery of each tier into the base, four corner turrets with domed cupolas and balustraded staircases, raised on four turned feet. Four square brass dials, each with engraved foliate spandrels and central flower rosette, silvered chapter ring with radial Roman numerals and inner half-hour markers. Blued steel “Tulip” hands. Rectangular brass plates, brass toothed wheel at right angles driving a long steel rod connected to the wheel driving the four hour wheels at the top. Musical movement: with pinned wooden cylinder and 12 bells, activated on the hour or at will by the rolling ball and powering the return ascent of the ball to the top of the case, lever
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-05-14
