Early 20th Century Continental Orrery Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
early 20th century
This early 20th-century Continental horological orrery is mounted on a blue painted hexagonal base. The instrument features a fixed outer silvered calendar dial engraved with Latin month names and zodiac emblems.
Nested subsidiary silvered dials indicate standard time and the bissextile leap year cycle. Centered on a gilt brass model of the Sun orbited by ivory models of Mercury and Venus, the assembly includes a rotating Earth globe with an annular 24-hour ring and moonphase apparatus. Timekeeping and the Earth assembly are driven by a single fusee movement fitted with an Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement, supported within scroll-pierced brass plates.
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
- Orrery clock
- Dimensions
- Calendar 30.5 cm diameter; case 27.5 cm high
- Escapement
- Earnshaw-type detent escapement
- Base and Case
- Hexagonal glazed case on painted base with bracket feet
- Place recorded
- Continental
- Astronomical Elements
- Gilt brass Sun with ivory models of Mercury and Venus
- Calendar Ring Details
- Fixed silvered dial with Latin months and zodiac symbols
Design
- Visible features
- • Plan-view perspective showing the movement plate, gear trains, and planetary assembly within a blue hexagonal mount. • Time dial displays Roman numerals and Breguet-style hands with a winding aperture. • Bissextile cycle dial is divided into sectors labelled 'COMMUNE I', 'COMMUNE II', 'COMMUNE III', and 'BISSEXTILE'.
- Horological Construction
- The instrument is powered by a single fusee movement equipped with an Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement. The timekeeping and Earth assembly are driven by this primary movement, while the remainder of the functions are powered by a separate spring barrel. Internal structural components include shaped brass plates that are pierced with scrolls and joined by nine tapered pillars.
- Documentation and Presentation
- The object is described as an early 20th-century Continental orrery. The source documentation indicates it is housed in a hexagonal glazed case on a painted base with bracket feet. No specific maker or precise geographic provenance beyond 'Continental' is provided in the source.
- Astronomical and Calendar Displays
- The orrery features a central gilt brass model of the Sun, with ivory models of Mercury and Venus in orbit. The Earth model is depicted as a rotating unit with an integrated moonphase mechanism and an annular 24-hour dial. An outer fixed silvered calendar dial serves as the perimeter, engraved with months in Latin and astrological emblems. Subsidiary dials for time, the bissextile year cycle, and the age of the moon are positioned below the central assembly.
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 glazed case and bracket feet mentioned in the auction description are not visible in this top-down photograph.
- Research required: No specific maker or precise country of origin beyond 'Continental' is recorded in the source documentation.