Pocket watch, Turkey
Turkey; mechanism – Switzerland (?), mid-17th century
Gold, silver, steel, precious stones; casting, enamel, chasing, niello, carving
Gold, silver, steel, precious stones; casting, enamel, chasing, niello, carving
An elephant-shaped clock and an automatic clock with the figure
of an oriental horseman reflected the European fascination with the exotic that characterised the 16th-18th centuries. It manifested itself
in the collection of rarities brought from distant lands, as well as
in the use of exotic motifs and images in fine arts and crafts.
The "Four Parts of the World" series was particularly popular at the
time; masters tried to reproduce both the characteristic type and
the peculiarities of clothing of characters from distant lands.
of an oriental horseman reflected the European fascination with the exotic that characterised the 16th-18th centuries. It manifested itself
in the collection of rarities brought from distant lands, as well as
in the use of exotic motifs and images in fine arts and crafts.
The "Four Parts of the World" series was particularly popular at the
time; masters tried to reproduce both the characteristic type and
the peculiarities of clothing of characters from distant lands.
In turn, Western works, such as European timepieces, spread and became popular in the countries of the East. Turkish and Chinese clocks made in imitation of Western ones have reached our times. Occasionally, Oriental jewellers created ornate cases for European mechanisms. In the 17th century, this phenomenon spread to the Ottoman Empire.
The Moscow Kremlin Museums preserve
a pocket watch that represents
a synthesis of Western and Eastern cultures - its European movement is
most likely set in a case made by Turkish craftsmen.
a pocket watch that represents
a synthesis of Western and Eastern cultures - its European movement is
most likely set in a case made by Turkish craftsmen.
In contrast to this is the decoration of the gilded dial plate. It bears indices: the hours in Roman numerals, the calendar in Arabic numerals, the months in Latin, the months in German, and the phases of the moon on a disc additionally decorated with niello stars. The hour-markers, which are not gilded, stand out against the gilded background. It is noteworthy that in this clock the hands remain stationary while the circles with the hour and day scales move. The hour hand is represented by a relief arrow in the hands of a Cupid drawing a bow, while the days of the month are indicated by a sword in the hands of a female figure - an allegory of Justice.
The background of the dial is covered with a low relief - images of the allegorical series "Four Parts of the World". Four half-naked male and female figures are depicted in a landscape accompanied by animals, including birds (Europe), an elephant, probably also a camel (Asia), a lion (Africa), a crocodile and an armadillo (America). The attributes of the figures reflect the stylistic solution of similar images in graphic and pictorial series of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Taking into account the special attitude towards the representation of living creatures in the art of Muslim countries, we can assume that the same exceptions might be made for the composition on the dial board as for the images, for example in a Persian miniature, which included both humans and animals. It is noteworthy that the semi-nudes are represented by barely recognizable personifications on a poorly developed background, while the main figures are clothed, even Cupid, who in the European tradition always appears naked.
The case of the watch is decorated
with beautiful emerald green enamel
and diamonds framed by carved gold leaves. The back of the white enamelled lid is decorated with a pattern of vibrant multicoloured enamel flowers. The details of the mechanism are decorated with floral ornament, and the blank silver plate is entirely covered with a typical oriental pattern of small flowers on thin stems on a black background. The dial is decorated with a delicate floral pattern.
with beautiful emerald green enamel
and diamonds framed by carved gold leaves. The back of the white enamelled lid is decorated with a pattern of vibrant multicoloured enamel flowers. The details of the mechanism are decorated with floral ornament, and the blank silver plate is entirely covered with a typical oriental pattern of small flowers on thin stems on a black background. The dial is decorated with a delicate floral pattern.