A German Renaissance gilt-copper and gilt-brass 'reiter uhr' automaton table clock, Nikolaus Schmidt
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1580
According to the auction catalogue, this German Renaissance automaton table clock dates to circa 1580 and is attributed to Nikolaus Schmidt in Augsburg. The gilt-copper and brass case stands on bun feet and supports an equestrian figure dressed in period attire holding a baton.
The auctioneer notes that during striking on a bell via a locking plate mechanism, the rider's head turns from side to side. The internal two-train movement utilizes fusee and chain with pinned barrel caps, verge escapement with a later-fitted hairspring and regulator, and oval brass plates bearing the stamped maker's mark 'NS'. The repoussé base is engraved with strapwork, foliage, and dial indicators.
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
- Type
- Automaton table clock
- Materials
- Copper, brass, steel
- Dimensions
- 29 cm (11½ in.) high
- Maker's Mark
- Stamped NS for Nikolaus Schmidt
- Place recorded
- Germany
- Automaton Action
- Head turns side to side when striking
- Maker / attribution
- Nikolaus Schmidt
- Movement Construction
- Two-train fusee and chain movement with oval brass plates
Design
- Visible features
- • A fully gilded rider dressed with a hat, ruff, and cape is mounted on a horse with raised foreleg. • The horse and rider stand atop an oval, multi-tiered gilded metal base ornamented with foliate engraving. • Small turned bun feet are visible underneath the bottom plinth.
- Modifications and Source Limitations
- The auctioneer's condition report documents multiple alterations and later replacements across both the mechanism and the external figures. The movement features a later balance spring and regulation assembly, along with a replaced strike hammer and striking click work. The hour and strike hands are also identified as replacements. Externally, the catalogue notes that the baton in the rider's right hand and the sword are replacements, while the figure and plinth case are reported by the seller to retain much of their original gilding. Because neither the upper surface dials nor the internal gear trains are visible in the provided primary photograph, confirmation of these mechanical components relies strictly on the seller's documentation.
- Visual Composition and Equestrian Form
- The object presents as a multi-tiered horizontal table clock surmounted by a sculptural equestrian group in gilded metal. The rider is modeled in period attire, including a hat, neck ruff, and cape, mounted on a horse with a raised foreleg. The equestrian figure rests on an oval repoussé plinth with a stepped, molded base decorated with foliate engraving and strapwork. The entire assembly is elevated on small turned bun feet attached beneath the bottom plinth.
- Reported Horological and Automaton Mechanism
- According to the auction catalogue, the internal clockwork consists of a two-train fusee and chain movement built with plain steel pillars and oval brass plates stamped "NS" for Nikolaus Schmidt. The escapement is catalogued as verge with a plain brass balance, striking on a bell via a locking plate. The catalogue notes that the equestrian sculpture incorporates an automaton action linked to the striking train, causing the rider's head to turn from side to side during striking. The upper side of the repoussé gilt-copper base is reported to be engraved with an hours dial and a strike recording dial alongside depictions of buildings and creatures.
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: Source notes the hairspring and regulator, strike hammer, striking click work, hour and strike hands, sword, and baton are replacements.
- Research required: The internal movement and the top surface dials are not visible in the primary photograph.