Longcase clock with calendar
ca. 1680–85
Medium
Case: walnut and oak veneered with walnut; dial: gilded and silvered brass; movement: brass, steel
Dimensions
Overall: 78 1/4 × 16 3/8 × 9 1/4 in. (198.8 × 41.6 × 23.5 cm); Quarter Strike weight (far left when viewing the object) and Hour Strike weight: 11.5 lb. (5.2 kg); Going Train (center): 6.7 lb. (3.1 kg); Width (dial plate): 10 in. (25.4 cm)
Classification
Horology
Culture
British, London
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Irwin Untermyer, 1973
Accession Number
1974.28.92
Art Historical Context
This elegant longcase clock crafted by the renowned English clockmaker Josephibb around 1680–85, exemplifies the pinnacle of 17th-century British horology. Housed in a walnut and oak veneered case standing over 78 inches tall, it features a gilded and silvered brass dial and precise brass-and-steel movement. Knibb, based in London, was celebrated for his innovative designs and superior craftsmanship, producing luxury timepieces for the elite during the Restoration era, when accurate domestic clocks became symbols of status and scientific progress. The clock's sophisticated complications inclu...