Kitchen wall clock, Schramberg, 1956, 1960-1970
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1956, 1960-1970
Kitchen wall clock in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number M.224-2007), made in Schramberg, dated 1956, 1960-1970, attributed to Bill, Max, Moeckl, Ernst. The museum's brief description reads: Glazed earthenware, quartz movement, Germany, made by Junghans, designed in 1956 by Max Bill and Ernst Moeckl. Museum description: The body of glazed earthenware, the exterior coloured a pale blue, the interior, white, is moulded in an inverted, triangular "V" shape with a rounded top and bottom clock dial is circular with the numerals and minutes marked in black; the hands of black strip metal with pointed ends, the central spindle is covered by a small, circular white plastic disc. The manufacturer's name, JUNGHANS is printed across the face. The clock face has a circular glass cover with a thin, chromium plated rim, hinged on the left and with a thumb piece retained by a pin on the right. The timer is immediately below the clock face, with back numerals against a plain white background, the minutes unidentified five minute intervals form 0 through to 60. The timer is operated by a white plastic knob. On the back, the letters JUNGHANS, are impressed into the body and run in an arc underneath the curved top. The clock is operated by a battery powering a quartz mechanism housed in a rectangular plastic case to… The museum records it as Glazed earthenware, glass, chrome, painted metal, plastic and quartz mechanism, measuring Height 26 cm; Width 18.7 cm; Depth 6 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
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.
Historical context
This kitchen clock, which incorporates a mechanical timer, was designed by Max Bill whilst Director of the Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG Ulm), the experimental design school founded in 1953. The school was established by Inge Aicher-Scholl and Otl Aicher in memory of Scholl’s brother and sister who had been killed in 1943 (they were part of an anti-Nazi resistance group). Schol’s and Aicher’s initial vision for the school had been for an institution of democratic education, devoted to politics and philosophy as well as culture, which would aid in the moral rebuilding of Germany. Plans for the school were redirected more firmly towards design when the founders invited the Swiss artist and designer Max Bill to be Director. Bill was a former Bauhaus student, President of the Swiss Werkbund and a major figure in the cause of modernist architecture and design in Europe. The school became the figurehead of Western German modernism in the post war period, often referred to as a “new Bauhaus”. In terms of product design, Bill and his colleagues pursued an ideal of rationalist modernism, in visual and philosophical opposition to the streamlined styling of post war American design. A totalising vision of design promoted the engagement of the artist with industry, although leading members of the school disagreed about how this should be achieved. The Ulm’s school’s achievements in industrial collaboration with companies such as Junghams and Braun, however, produced an enduring legacy…
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Earthenware, glass, chrome, metal, plastic, quartz
- Dimensions
- Height 26 cm; Width 18.7 cm; Depth 6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Glazed earthenware, glass, chrome, painted metal, plastic and quartz mechanism
- Maker recorded
- Bill, Max, Moeckl, Ernst
- Place recorded
- Schramberg
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- JUNGHANS
Identification
- Museum object name
- Kitchen wall clock
- Museum object number
- M.224-2007
- Museum system number
- O164396
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: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.