Dutch Louis XV style musical grandfather clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1900
This Dutch longcase clock is executed in the Louis XV style and dates to circa 1900 according to the auction cataloguer. The clock features a burl walnut veneered oak case measuring approximately 320 cm in height, capped by an arched hood surmounted by carved figures of Atlas supporting a globe flanked by two Victories.
The arched brass dial has an engraved silvered chapter ring, calendar displays, strike and tune selectors, and a rolling moon phase in the arch. The source reports that while the dial is signed Dirk van Haarst Amsterdam, the movement was likely manufactured around 1900 by the firm van Wijck in The Hague, featuring an eight-day, weight-driven anchor escapement and a musical work playing six melodies on bells.
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 grandfather clock
- Dial features
- Brass and silvered engraved dial with full calendar and rolling moon
- Place recorded
- Netherlands
- Maker attribution
- Van Wijck (signed Dirk van Haarst Amsterdam)
- Maker / attribution
- Van Wijck
- Escapement and regulation
- Anchor escapement with pendulum
- Striking and musical train
- Dutch half-hour striking, six-melody pinned cylinder on bells
- Movement drive and duration
- Three weights, eight-day duration
- Case construction and height
- Burl walnut veneered oak, height circa 320 cm
Design
- Visible features
- • Full-height standing longcase clock with an arched hood crowned by a central carved Atlas figure supporting a celestial sphere, flanked by two winged trumpet-blowing figures. • Trunk door framed by carved rococo scrollwork and mounted with an ornate dark cast brass lenticle ornament depicting Chronos/Father Time. • Bombé lower section displaying floral marquetry inlays, supported on carved ball-and-claw feet. • Arched dial with rolling moon phase disc in the upper arch and pierced corner spandrels.
- Dial and Complications
- The clock features an arched brass dial with silvered engraving and pierced corner spandrels. Functional displays include a full calendar and a rolling moon phase disc within the arch. The dial includes controls for the movement's settings, specifically indicating strike/not strike and playing/not playing. It is signed 'Dirk van Haarst Amsterdam,' though the cataloguer attributes the clock's manufacture to the firm van Wijck.
- Movement and Attribution
- The movement is described as an eight-day, three-weight-driven system regulated by an anchor escapement and a pendulum. It performs a Dutch half-hour strike on two alternating bells. The musical work utilizes a pinned cylinder to play six melodies on a set of bells and hammers. The auction description notes the movement was likely made by the firm van Wijck in The Hague, intended to emulate 18th-century antique examples.
- Case Construction and Ornamentation
- The longcase clock is executed in a Louis XV style, featuring an oak case with burl walnut veneer and a total height of approximately 320 cm. The base is of a bombé design, raised on ball-and-claw feet, and decorated with floral marquetry. The case is capped by a contoured, arched hood featuring foliate pierced fretwork. The cresting includes a central carved figure of Atlas supporting a celestial sphere, flanked by two figures identified as Victories. The trunk door is mounted with a cast brass lenticle ornament depicting Chronos.
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 dial bears the signature of Dirk van Haarst, Amsterdam, but the cataloguer attributes manufacture to the The Hague firm van Wijck circa 1900 following earlier 18th-century antique models.
- Research required: The movement, bells, cylinder mechanism, weights, and pendulum are housed inside and not visible in the provided exterior photograph.