120,000 CHF
Mercury Swiss, attributable to Meuron, made for the Italian Market, circa 1790. Very rare and very fine ebonized and gilt wood eight-day-going, bracket clock, striking hours and quarters, repeating with 12-tune music playing on the hour and on demand. Square, molded top with gilt statue of Mercury with his winged helmet and a money pouch in his right hand, two gilt putti at his side, with front decorated over red fabric with applied gilt wood garlands of flowers and scrolling foliate pattern, top with aperture for the dial, lower part with aperture for enamel 12-tune change dial, pierced side panels for sound, the right one with cord to activate the music, the left one with cord to activate the repeater. Bracket with a finial at the bottom and rich gilt wood garland decoration. White enamel, Roman numerals, outer minute track with five-minute Arabic markers, winding apertures at 4 and 8 o’clock, regulating aperture at 12 o’clock with aperture for setting the pendulum in motion below. Gilt elaborate hands. Rectangular, brass, going barrels both for the going and striking trains, verge escapement with silk suspension, rack striking of typical Neuchatel design, pull repeat. Musical movement: double barrel with double fusee set one below the other, 15 poplar pipes, 15 valves, brass pinned cylinder, fly governor with worm gearing. Dim. Height. 106 cm, (140 with the bracket). Base width 55 cm. Notes During this period in Switzerland only Jaquet-Droz, the Robert family and Meu
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2008-03-16
