Astronomical table clock
Unknown Artist
second quarter 17th century
Medium
Case: gilded brass and gilded copper; Dials: gilded brass and silver; Movement: brass, gilded brass, and steel
Dimensions
Overall: 25 × 10 × 10 in. (63.5 × 25.4 × 25.4 cm)
Classification
Horology
Culture
German, Augsburg
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.747
Tags
About this artwork
This imposing astronomical table clock represents the height of German horological and scientific instrument making during the seventeenth century. The elaborate case of gilded brass and copper houses complex mechanisms that provide not only the time of day but also astronomical and calendrical information through multiple dials. The clock's architectural form, with its vertical tower structure and ornamental details, transforms a scientific instrument into a status symbol and object of wonder. ...