Japanese pillar clock (shaku dokei) and outer case
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
mid 19th century
According to Bonhams, this mid-19th-century Japanese pillar clock (shaku dokei) features a plain vertical wooden body surmounted by a glazed hood that reveals a gilt brass movement.
The movement incorporates a balance wheel escapement and a decorative front plate crafted in the form of a basket of flowers. Time is registered along an interchangeable, double-sided black lacquer vertical scale by a single pointer hand. The source notes that the hood is replaced and the pointer hand is later. The lot includes an outer wooden protective case with a movement viewing aperture and an auxiliary wooden case housing interchangeable scales.
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
- Pillar clock (shaku dokei)
- Escapement
- Balance wheel escapement
- Clock Height
- 39 cm (15.25 in)
- Scale Details
- Double-sided interchangeable black lacquer scale (one of six stored in a small wooden case)
- Place recorded
- Japan
- Outer Case Height
- 43.5 cm (17 in)
- Front Plate Design
- Basket of flowers
Design
- Visible features
- • Vertical wooden pillar clock body displaying a vertical black scale with Japanese characters • Gilt brass movement with an ornate floral basket design visible beneath a glazed upper hood • Separate rectangular wooden container holding interchangeable black lacquer scale plates • Tall wooden outer case fitted with metal hinges • Single pointer hand mounted adjacent to the scale plate near the base
- Movement and Scale
- Displayed beneath the glazed hood is a gilt brass movement equipped with a balance wheel escapement. The front plate of the mechanism is fashioned in the form of a basket of flowers. Time is registered along an interchangeable, double-sided vertical scale of black lacquer, which is read by a single hand. The clock is accompanied by a separate small wooden case housing six of these interchangeable scale plates.
- Form and Construction
- This Japanese pillar clock (shaku dokei) is described as being of characteristic form, measuring 39 cm (15.25 in) in height. It consists of a plain wooden body surmounted by a glazed upper hood and contains a key drawer housed within its base. The clock is fitted into a protective outer wooden case measuring 43.5 cm (17 in) in height. The auction description notes that this outer case features a small aperture positioned on the right side through which the movement can be observed.
- Condition and Documented Alterations
- The auction cataloguing explicitly records two replaced or later elements: the glazed hood surmounting the case is noted as replaced, and the single indicating hand is catalogued as later. No maker, workshop signatures, or serial marks are recorded in the auction source. The attribution to the mid-19th century and Japan reflects the cataloguer's lot description.
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: Source notes the glazed hood is replaced
- Research required: Source notes the single reading hand is later