Samuel Kammerer Exposed Cuckoo & Quail Mantel Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1885
Attributed by the source to Samuel Kammerer of Furtwangen and dated to circa 1885, this German Black Forest mantel clock features an intricately hand-carved wooden case ornamented with vine and leaf fretwork and boldly carved roses.
The crest displays an openwork design featuring two exposed birds flanking a nest of eggs. A dark circular wooden dial is set with applied Gothic bone Roman numerals and pierced bone hands. According to the seller, the clock is powered by an eight-day triple-fusee brass movement striking quarter hours on two coiled gongs.
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
- Date
- Circa 1885
- Type
- Cuckoo & Black Forest clock
- Movement
- 8-day triple-fusee brass movement
- Striking
- Quarter-hour striking on two coiled gongs
- Dimensions
- 27-½” High x 20” Wide x 7” Deep
- Place recorded
- Germany
- Maker Attribution
- Samuel Kammerer of Furtwangen
- Maker / attribution
- Samuel Kammerer
Design
- Visible features
- • Carved openwork crest displays two birds flanking a nest of eggs atop branch fretwork, surmounted by two smaller figures in circular openings. • Dark circular wooden dial features applied light-toned Gothic Roman numerals and pierced openwork hands. • Base of the case is decorated with prominent carved multi-petal roses and foliage surrounding an opening through which the pendulum bob is visible.
- Dial Configuration
- The circular dial is turned from dark wood and set directly into the carved facade. It is fitted with applied light-toned Gothic Roman numerals, which the vendor describes as bone. Time is indicated by matching pierced openwork hands, also reported by the source to be made of bone, contrasting against the dark wooden dial plate.
- Movement and Striking Train
- According to the seller's description, the clock is powered by an eight-day triple-fusee brass movement featuring quarter-hour striking on two coiled gongs. While the pendulum bob is visible through an opening in the lower base foliage, the internal movement plates, fusees, and striking trains remain enclosed within the casework and are not visible in the provided photograph.
- Case Design and Carved Motifs
- The clock is housed in a richly hand-carved wooden mantel case centered on botanical and avian motifs. Flowing vine and leaf fretwork surrounds the body of the case, terminating at the base in boldly carved roses. The crest features an openwork crown occupied by two exposed birds—described by the vendor as a cuckoo and a quail—flanking and guarding a nest of eggs atop branch fretwork, departing from typical enclosed automaton apertures.
Identification
- Reference
- AGER 21
- 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 movement, fusees, and striking mechanism are not visible in the provided photograph.
- Research required: Attribution to Samuel Kammerer of Furtwangen is source-reported and not independently verifiable from external marks in the photograph.