A Contemporary Congreve Rolling Ball Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
20th century
Catalogued as a contemporary 20th-century Congreve rolling ball clock, this timepiece incorporates a skeletonised fusee movement fronted by three chapter rings indicating hours, minutes, and seconds.
The brass upper frame features a triangular pediment supported by four pillars, positioned directly above a tilting grooved brass platform intended for a rolling steel ball. The entire clock mechanism is housed within a brass-framed glass case standing on a rectangular wood base. Bonhams records the clock's height at 16 inches excluding the case and base.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Date
- 20th century
- Type
- Rolling ball clock
- Height
- 16 inches (clock only)
- Movement
- Skeletonised fusee movement
- Platform
- Tilting brass platform with rolling steel ball
- Case and Base
- Brass framed glass case and wood base
- Chapter Rings
- Three chapter rings for hours, minutes, and seconds
- Pediment and Pillars
- Triangular pediment supported on four pillars
Design
- Visible features
- • Three white enamel or silvered chapter rings are mounted horizontally across the upper brass framework. • A zig-zag grooved brass track platform is suspended on a central pivot below the movement. • Four brass columns with spherical and spire finials support the intermediate structure. • The clock mechanism rests inside a glazed five-sided brass vitrine case atop a dark wood plinth.
- Movement and Rolling Ball Platform
- The movement is recorded in the auction listing as a skeletonised fusee movement fronted by three chapter rings indicating hours, minutes, and seconds. Visual examination confirms three white enamel or silvered chapter rings mounted horizontally across the upper brass framework. Positioned beneath the movement is a tilting brass platform with a rolling steel ball. Visible inspection shows that this zig-zag grooved brass track platform is suspended on a central pivot below the movement.
- Dimensions and Documentary Limitations
- The auction description provides a single measurement of 16 inches height for the clock mechanism only, excluding the outer vitrine case and base. No maker, workshop, country of manufacture, or reference numbers are recorded in the auction entry. While the text mentions a rolling steel ball, it is not clearly discerned on the platform in the primary catalogue image, and no mechanical assessment or functional report is provided.
- Object Identity and Architectural Structure
- The lot is catalogued by Bonhams Skinner as a contemporary Congreve rolling ball clock dating to the 20th century. Its brass upper framework is described as having a triangular pediment supported on four pillars, resting within a brass-framed glass case on a wood base. Visual observation of the clock notes four brass columns with spherical and spire finials supporting the intermediate structure, with the entire mechanism housed inside a glazed five-sided brass vitrine case atop a dark wood plinth.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The maker and exact place of origin are not specified by the auction house.
- Research required: The rolling steel ball described in the catalogue text is not clearly visible on the platform in the primary photograph.