Table clock
Danzig, 17th century
Simon Gunter
Copper alloys, steel, wood, glass; casting, carving, turning, gilding
Simon Gunter
Copper alloys, steel, wood, glass; casting, carving, turning, gilding
In the European tradition, the clock was not only a symbol of mortality but also an attribute of the allegorical figure of Temperance: the clockwork is accurate and measured. In the 17th-century fine art, at the height of emblem studies and fascination with allegory, the timepiece could support the image of the sovereign as a timeless symbol, corresponding to the categories of order and measure, to glorify the sovereign and the time of his reign.
In the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums there is a
clock depicting the sovereign surrounded by seven servants.
It was made by Gdansk craftsmen in the form of a four-sided
tower crowned by a high rotunda with an open colonnade.
The figures of the ruler and his servants are depicted behind the columns in oriental robes, while only the figure of the monarch could move and the servants facing him were fixed.
clock depicting the sovereign surrounded by seven servants.
It was made by Gdansk craftsmen in the form of a four-sided
tower crowned by a high rotunda with an open colonnade.
The figures of the ruler and his servants are depicted behind the columns in oriental robes, while only the figure of the monarch could move and the servants facing him were fixed.
The combination of different techniques and stylistic methods in the decoration of the case is striking: in the interpretation of the cast figures, in the massive columns, in the fine engraving of the dome of the rotunda.
On the dome of the rotunda, under a wide sky with clouds and flocks of birds, there is a sea with a ship and a shuttle under sail
on the waves, and Neptune with a trident and naiads, one of whom is looking at herself in a mirror. The expressiveness of this timepiece is demonstrated by bizarre combination of images. Unfortunately, the clock face was replaced in the 19th century.
on the waves, and Neptune with a trident and naiads, one of whom is looking at herself in a mirror. The expressiveness of this timepiece is demonstrated by bizarre combination of images. Unfortunately, the clock face was replaced in the 19th century.