Schwarzwald cuckoo clock, Camerer, Kuss & Co
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
early 20th century
This early 20th-century Schwarzwald cuckoo clock is associated by the source with Camerer, Kuss & Co. The carved wooden case features a pitched tiled roof surmounted by a bird, with extensive fruiting vine ornamentation surrounding the cuckoo aperture, dial, and fenced lower section resting on a plinth base.
The five-inch wooden dial exhibits concentric ring turning at the centre, applied Roman numerals, and pierced foliate hands. According to the auction description, the clock houses a twin-train fusee movement with wooden plates that sounds the hour and half hour using two tone pipes and a gong, originally intended to trigger a cylinder musical mechanism in 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
- Dial
- 5 inch Roman dial with applied numerals and carved foliate hands
- Type
- Cuckoo & Black Forest clock
- Height
- 50cm (19.5in)
- Movement
- Twin train fusee movement with wooden plates
- Place recorded
- Germany
- Maker / attribution
- Camerer, Kuss & Co
- Acoustics and Striking
- Two tone pipes and striking gong
- Roof and Case Cresting
- Tiled pitched roof with fruiting vine gables, surmounted by a carved bird
- Base Musical Movement Status
- Cylinder movement disconnected
Design
- Dial and Hands
- The five-inch wooden dial displays applied Roman numerals marking the hours, pierced foliate-carved hands, and concentric ring turning at the centre. Two winding arbors are positioned horizontally on either side of the center arbor below the handset.
- Visible features
- • Carved bird perched on foliage cresting the pitched gable roof. • Wooden dial with applied Roman numerals, ring-turned center, two winding arbors, and carved foliate hands. • Cuckoo door aperture visible above the dial, surrounded by carved grapevine motifs. • Lower portion enclosed with a rustic vine-and-trellis fence over a rectangular plinth base.
- Case Design and Carved Decoration
- The clock case measures 50 cm (19.5 in) in height and features a pitched roof described as 'tiled' with fruiting vine gables, surmounted by a carved bird perched on foliage. Carved grapevine decoration continues down the front facade surrounding the cuckoo door aperture and the dial. Below the dial, the lower section includes an enclosed rustic fence motif resting on a rectangular plinth base, which houses the cylinder musical movement.
- Reported Movement, Striking, and Base Music Mechanism
- The internal mechanism is not visible in the catalogue photograph, but the auction description states it is a twin-train fusee movement fitted with wooden plates and wound with chain or gut lines. Striking is reported to sound on the hour and half hour using two tone pipes alongside a striking gong. The auction source notes that the movement was originally arranged to activate a cylinder musical movement installed in the plinth base, though this mechanism is reported to be disconnected. The lot title associates the clock with Camerer, Kuss & Co, dating it to the early 20th century, with a footnote referencing a comparable model by Johann Baptist Beha illustrated in Rick Ortenburger's 'Black Forest Clocks'.
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 twin-train fusee movement and tone pipes are not visible in the photograph.
- Research required: The source reports that the cylinder musical movement in the base is disconnected.