Black Forest Flute Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late 18th century
This late 18th-century Black Forest flute clock features a poliment-gilt wooden case designed with the visual motif of a church organ. Timekeeping is displayed on a white enamel dial featuring Roman numerals and an Arabic minute track, complemented by decorated hands.
The movement, which is reported as a replacement, includes an 8-day duration and a half-hour strike on a bell, with the pendulum hung via thread suspension. The mechanical musical assembly comprises 64 wooden pipes and two large pin barrels, each capable of playing eight distinct melodies. The clock is accompanied by a wooden base constructed in the shape of a chest of drawers. Provenance is linked to the Sapper Collection in Stuttgart, with records indicating an acquisition from Antiquitäten Rust in Cologne in 1991.
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
- Flute clock
- Dating
- late 18th century
- Dimensions
- 100 x 60 cm
- Provenance
- The Sapper Collection, Stuttgart; acquired from Antiquitäten Rust, Cologne, 1991
- Place recorded
- Germany
- Condition status
- Replaced movement and dial; restoration and additions noted
- Striking mechanism
- Half-hour strike on bell
- Movement components
- 64 wooden pipes, two large pin barrels with 8 melodies each
Design
- Visible features
- • Frontal case decoration resembles a miniature theatre stage with figures • Poliment-gilt wooden finish on the exterior • Dial includes Roman hour markers and Arabic minute numerals • Integrated winding crank visible on the side of the clock
- Timekeeping Mechanism
- The timekeeping display consists of a white enamel dial with Roman hour numerals and an Arabic minute track. The dial is fitted with decorated hands for reading the time. The internal pendulum movement is an 8-day mechanism that strikes on a bell at the half-hour. The pendulum itself uses a thread suspension system. The auction description notes that both the movement and the dial are replaced components.
- Case and Musical Assembly
- The clock is housed in a poliment-gilt wooden case that features a theatre-style backdrop at the front. The design incorporates a depiction of a church organ, providing a decorative facade for the internal mechanical elements. The musical function is driven by a flute movement containing 64 wooden pipes. It operates using two large pin barrels, with each barrel capable of producing eight different melodies. The system is described as having three registers and 21 claverns.
- Attribution and Provenance
- The clock has been part of the Sapper Collection in Stuttgart. Documentation provided with the lot includes a letter from Antiquitäten Rust, which details an acquisition in 1991. The same documentation contains an assertion regarding the origin of the shield and figures, attributing them to Matthias Faller for the French court. This remains an attribution stated in the supporting letter rather than a confirmed provenance record.
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 auction description reports the movement and dial are replaced
- Research required: Attribution to Matthias Faller is based on an enclosed letter from a third party rather than internal marks
- Research required: Extent of age-related damage and restoration is not fully detailed