Austrian Musical Picture Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
18th century
This Austrian musical picture clock features a green-painted wooden frame measuring 45 x 50 cm. The dial is presented on a painted iron panel, which depicts a landscape with staffage figures and a central Christmas scene.
A cutout within the painted backdrop accommodates a movable angel of the Annunciation. The scene includes two integrated rotating discs displaying hunting motifs and representations of the Turkish wars. The brass chapter ring features Roman numerals and is fitted with decorative brass hands. The clock is signed by the Viennese maker Antonius Köt(t)l (1743-1785) and carries the inscription 'La Invention Nouvelle'. It is equipped with a verge escapement and a 1-day running movement with a short pendulum.
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
- Musical picture clock
- Maker
- Antonius Köt(t)l
- Dimensions
- 45 x 50 cm
- Escapement
- Verge escapement
- Provenance
- The Sapper Collection, Stuttgart; Guggenberger Antiquitäten, Salzburg, 1985
- Inscription
- La Invention Nouvelle
- Running time
- 1-day
- Place recorded
- Austria
- Maker / attribution
- Antonius Köt(t)l
Design
- Case and Panel
- The clock is housed in a rectangular frame painted in a green finish and fitted with a protective glass front. The interior composition is set upon a painted iron panel, which serves as both the clock face and a decorative scene. The artwork features a pastoral landscape populated with staffage figures. Central to the pictorial composition is a depiction of a Christmas scene. A specific architectural cutout in the backdrop allows for the movement of an angel of the Annunciation. Additionally, two integrated rotating discs are built into the design, showing thematic hunting motifs alongside depictions of the Turkish wars.
- Visible features
- • Painted green wooden frame with glass front • Painted iron panel with figural landscape scenes • Brass chapter ring with Roman numerals • Two rotating discs featuring hunting and war motifs
- Movement and Dial
- The clock features a circular brass chapter ring displaying Roman numerals for the hours. The hands are crafted from brass and exhibit decorative detailing. The dial itself bears the signature of the maker, Antonius Köt(t)l of Vienna, and includes the French inscription 'La Invention Nouvelle' near the bottom of the chapter ring. Mechanically, the clock is powered by a movement with a 1-day duration and a short pendulum.
- Provenance and Attribution
- The maker is identified as Antonius Köt(t)l (1743-1785), who practiced as a clockmaker in Vienna. The object is attributed to the 18th century. Records of the object's history show it was formerly part of the Sapper Collection in Stuttgart. Prior to this, it was acquired by the collection from Guggenberger Antiquitäten in Salzburg in 1985.
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 source notes the object has been restored, but does not specify the extent or nature of these restorations.
- Research required: The source provides no guarantee for the current mechanical functioning of the movement.