Gordian Hettich Sohn Carved Walnut 'Trumpeter' Mantel Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late 19th century
This late 19th-century German Black Forest mantel clock by Gordian Hettich Sohn is housed in a carved walnut architectural case. It is powered by a twin going barrel movement with skeletonised plates, an anchor escapement, and an external countwheel.
The source reports that hourly announcements are sounded on two trumpets driven by bellows, accompanied by a coiled gong and an automaton polychrome trumpeter emerging from behind double doors below the dial. The walnut case features turned finials, strapwork, knopped split pilasters, and an engraved 1898 silvered presentation plaque on the base.
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
- Mantel clock
- Escapement
- Anchor escapement
- Maker mark
- G.H.S. beneath number 42
- Dial features
- Concentric turned wood with ivorine numerals and bone hands
- Place recorded
- Germany
- Clock dimensions
- 72 cm high, 32 cm wide, 19 cm deep
- Plaque inscription
- Carlisle Working Mens Club Billiard Handicap 1898
- Maker / attribution
- Gordian Hettich Sohn
- Automaton and strike mechanism
- Two trumpets via bellows and coiled gong
Design
- Case Description
- The walnut architectural case features three spire-turned finials atop a cavetto-moulded break-arch superstructure, which contains a strapwork motif in the tympanum. The façade includes an ogee cornice, a corbel frieze, and full-height split pilasters with knopped shafts flanking the dial. Below the concentric wooden dial, a hinged double-door mechanism reveals an automaton trumpeter figure. The base includes arched recesses beneath stepped ogee mouldings.
- Visible features
- • Architectural case topped with three spire-turned wooden finials over a rounded pediment with pierced strapwork. • Flanking split knopped pilasters frame the concentric wooden chapter ring and dual winding holes. • A small hinged double door below the dial sits above an engraved metal plaque attached to the plinth base.
- Identity and Attribution
- This Black Forest mantel clock is identified as a product of the firm Gordian Hettich Sohn, based in Furtwangen, Germany. The backplate of the movement is stamped 'G.H.S.' beneath the number '42'. The clock includes a silvered metal presentation plaque on the base engraved with the text: 'Carlisle Working Mens Club. BILLIARD HANDICAP 1898, FIRST PRIZE, WON BY, ROBERT STUBBS'.
- Movement and Automaton Mechanism
- The clock is driven by a twin going barrel, four-pillar movement with skeletonised plates and an anchor escapement regulated by a shaped-bob pendulum. An external countwheel manages the hourly strike sequence. The animation and sound components consist of two crank-driven bellows that operate two trumpets, accompanied by a coiled gong. The automaton, a polychrome trumpet player, appears from behind the lower doors during the hourly announcement. The source reports that the figure has been restored.
Identification
- Serial number
- 42
- 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: Lot includes a softbound trade catalogue not depicted in this primary photograph.
- Research required: Source notes the trumpeter automaton figure has been restored.