Thomas Starck monstrance clock movement and astronomical dial
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1620 (clock); 1680 (case)
According to the British Museum, this movement, dial, and alarm originated as components of a large monstrance clock made by Thomas Starck in 1620, probably in Augsburg, before being rehoused in a late-17th-century French wooden case.
The spring-driven movement operates with a verge escapement and balance, featuring striking trains for quarters and either 1–12 or 1–24 hours, alongside a separate alarm mechanism. The elaborate front dial includes a mechanical astrolabe with a rete showing 27 fixed stars, length-of-day shutters, a 365-day calendar ring marking saints' days, and added outer rings. The movement backplate incorporates six enameled subsidiary dials.
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
- Renaissance table clock
- Escapement
- Verge escapement with balance
- Museum Number
- 1958,1006.2063
- Place recorded
- Germany
- Maker Signature
- Thomas Starck. Anno 1620.
- Production Place
- Augsburg (?)
- Astrolabe Latitude
- 48 degrees
- Maker / attribution
- Thomas Starck
Design
- Visible features
- • The multi-layered astronomical dial features a blued steel dragon-shaped nodal hand, pierced astrolabe rete, and concentric chapter and calendar rings. • The outer perimeter includes a silvered brass chapter ring marked twice I through XII alongside minute indices. • A scale rule from the British Museum is placed below the dial.
- Movement and Escapement
- The movement consists of circular gilded brass plates connected by four pillars. It features a verge escapement with a balance, though the original balance was replaced. The striking trains are designed for 1-12 or 1-24 hour counts, with a separate alarm train. While the fusee was originally cut for gut, it has been modified to use a steel cable.
- Provenance and Configuration
- The movement is signed "Thomas Starck. Anno 1620" on the backplate. While the movement originated from a large monstrance clock, the original case is almost entirely lost, with the exception of a housing fragment for the alarm movement. The current housing is a French religeuse-style wooden case with tortoise-shell and metal inlay, dating to the end of the 17th century. During this re-casing, the main dial was enlarged and additional rings were added.
- Dial and Astronomical Features
- The main dial features a gilded brass mechanical astrolabe, engraved for 48 degrees latitude, with a blued-steel nodal hand and a pierced rete showing 27 stars. Surrounding these are circular shutters for length-of-day and Nuremberg hour indications. A 365-day calendar ring displays saints' feast days in red and black wax. The backplate includes six subsidiary dials, which indicate functions such as the regulator, days of the week, and striking train controls.
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 original monstrance metal case is almost entirely lost; the movement was later installed in a 17th-century Boulle-type case not depicted in the image.
- Research required: The chapter ring and outer Italian hour ring are noted as later additions or replacements rather than purely original 1620 components.