Idrocronometro da tavolo di Padre Giovanni Battista Embriaco (Ceriana)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
19th century
This table water clock (idrocronometro da tavolo), preserved in the sacristy of the Parrocchia dei Santi Pietro e Paolo in Ceriana, represents the horological invention of Dominican friar Giovanni Battista Embriaco (1829–1903).
The source reports that Embriaco's hydrochronometer system operates by water filling two basins alternately, supplying uniform motion to drive the pendulum and striking mechanism. The object features a sculpted casing adorned with aquatic and avian motifs, including swans, dolphins, shells, and a mascaron beneath a top-mounted circular dial with Roman numerals.
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
- Table hydrochronometer / water clock
- Inventor
- Padre Giovanni Battista Embriaco
- Location
- Sagrestia della Parrocchia dei Santi Pietro e Paolo a Ceriana
- Place recorded
- Italy
- Maker / attribution
- Padre Giovanni Battista Embriaco
- Mechanism principle
- Water filling two basins alternately
Design
- Visible features
- • Circular white dial with black Roman numerals set in a gold-toned bezel at the apex • Patinated sculpted metal case incorporating two swans with spread wings flanking a glazed front aperture • Carved decorative details including two dolphins, scallop shells, and a mascaron spout
- Object Identity and Location
- This table water clock (idrocronometro da tavolo or orologio ad acqua) is preserved in the sacristy of the Parrocchia dei Santi Pietro e Paolo in Ceriana. The source identifies it with Dominican friar Giovanni Battista Embriaco (born in Ceriana on December 31, 1829; died in Rome on March 6, 1903), who developed both monumental and table versions of his hydrochronometer. According to the municipal source, table hydrochronometers like the one in Ceriana are also found in Florence at the Museo di Storia della Scienza, in two German museums in Stuttgart and Mindelheim, and in approximately ten private collections.
- Visible Case and Dial Architecture
- Visual observation indicates a circular white dial marked with black Roman numerals and enclosed in a gold-toned bezel positioned at the apex of the structure. Below, the front of the housing contains a glazed aperture revealing interior space. The surrounding patinated sculpted metal case incorporates aquatic and avian ornamental motifs. Two sculpted swans with raised wings flank the glazed upper opening, while the lower body features two modeled dolphins, scallop shells, and a mascaron serving as a decorative spout element.
- Operating Principle and Source Limits
- The operating principle described in the source relies on water filling two alternating basins, imparting uniform, isochronous motion to drive both the pendulum and the striking mechanism. The source notes that Embriaco's system was submitted to contemporary scientists for evaluation, citing an 1860 report from the Accademia dei Lincei. The source does not specify the individual manufacturing date, materials, or dimensions for the Ceriana timepiece, nor does it state whether the internal mechanism is currently functional. Direct visual examination of the internal movement is limited by reflections across the front glass panel in available imagery.
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 internal water-driven movement components are largely obscured or reflect light through the front glass panel in the photograph
- Research required: The source does not specify an exact date of manufacture for this individual example