Dutch Six-Tune Musical Tall Case Clock by H. Engeringh
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1750
According to the source, this mid-18th-century Dutch tall case clock is signed by H. Engeringh Cz. of Dordrecht and stands in a flame mahogany case measuring 104 inches high.
The housing features a broken-arch hood, shaped serpentine door, and a swelling bombé base on claw feet. The dealer reports a three-train movement with a pinned musical cylinder operating 23 hammers across 12 bells to play six tunes at the hour or on demand, accompanied by a Dutch strike on two bells. The arched dial includes silvered and brass surfaces, gilt spandrels, time, seconds, day, date, month, zodiac signs, and lunar phase indications.
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 tall case clock
- Dimensions
- 104″ High x 26″ Wide x 15″ Deep
- Dial Displays
- Time, seconds, day, date, month, zodiac signs, and moon phases
- Place recorded
- Netherlands
- Maker Signature
- H. Engeringh Cz., Dordrecht
- Musical Mechanism
- Pinned cylinder with six tunes operating 23 hammers on 12 bells
- Striking Mechanism
- Dutch strike on two bells
- Maker / attribution
- H. Engeringh Cz.
Design
- Visible features
- • Flame mahogany tall case surmounted by three ball-and-spire finials on a broken-arch hood with central carved cresting • Gilt capital accents flanking the arched glazed hood door • Arched dial featuring an astronomical moon-phase aperture, silvered chapter ring, subsidiary seconds, and ornate gilt spandrels • Serpentine-shaped trunk door with an oval pierced gilt-metal lenticle ornament • Bombé base resting on carved claw-and-ball feet
- Case and Cabinetry
- The clock is housed in a flame mahogany case measuring 104 inches high. The architecture features a broken-arch hood, a serpentine-shaped door, and a bombé base supported by feet. The hood is surmounted by three ball-and-spire finials with central carved cresting, while the trunk door incorporates an oval, pierced gilt-metal lenticle.
- Dial and Astronomical Displays
- The arched dial features silvered and brass surfaces with gilt cast spandrels. The source states the dial provides indications for time, seconds, day, date, month, zodiac signs, and lunar phases. The internal astronomical components are not independently verified in the provided imagery.
- Movement and Musical Mechanism
- The source describes a three-train movement signed by H. Engeringh Cz. of Dordrecht. It includes a pinned musical cylinder that activates 23 hammers against 12 bells to play six tunes, either at the hour or on demand. A separate Dutch striking system is reported to function on two bells. The internal movement and bell assembly are not directly observable.
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: Internal three-train movement, pinned musical cylinder, and bell nest are not directly visible in the image
- Research required: Maker signature and calendar/astronomical apertures are reported by source and cannot be fully resolved at provided image scale
- Research required: Seller notes the piece as restored without detailed conservation documentation