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Brno/Habsburg Monarchy, first half of the 18th century
- signed
- “Giegel Brinn“
- Clockmaker
- Johann Georg Gi(e)g(e)l,
- Brno, marriage 1729 in Prague
- Case
- ebonized and polished fruitwood, fire-gilt bronze mounts
- Dial
- engraved ormolu front, four engraved, lacquered and silver-plated medallions depicting the four seasons, silver-plated dial ring and subsidiary dials
- Movement
- anchor escapement with fusee, richly engraved plate with a depiction of the goddess Diana and Cupid, petite sonnerie with hour strike on bell and quarter strike by carillon with 6 bells, repeater, turn-off for strike and repeater, indication of date and month with number of days and zodiac signs, duration one week
- Height
- 21¼ in
The magnificent Baroque clock shown here was made in the first half of the 18th century in Brno, Czech Republic. The former capital of Moravia was at that time part of the Habsburg monarchy and its population was mainly German-speaking. Little is known about the master clockmaker Johann Georg Giegel (also Giegl/Gigl), who worked in Brno – only his marriage in Prague in 1729 is documented. However, his excellent timepieces speak for themselves and the present Baroque clock with carillon, indications and duration of one week also testifies to the great craftsmanship of the Brno master. A carillon or glockenspiel consists of a series of differently tuned bells, an equal number of hammers, and a cylinder with pins from which the melody is read. In the case of the Baroque clock shown, the carillon consists of six bells and sounds every quarter hour. On the hour there is an additional strike on a single bell. Besides the complex striking mechanism, this excellent timepiece also has a date display as well as a display of the month with the corresponding number of days as well as the zodiac signs. The long duration of one week is particularly impressive due to the numerous technical refinements of the movement. The richly engraved plate shows a figural scene with the resting goddess Diana, her faithful hunting dog and the winged Cupid. The childlike god of love and the virginal goddess of the hunt were often depicted together, as they were both skilled in the use of bows and arrows, albeit with very different aims. The case in the classic shape of a bracket clock is made of black stained and polished fruitwood and decorated with ormolu mounts. The ornately engraved and fire-gilt front with ormolu mounts and silver-plated dial ring and subdials is further adorned by four colored lacquered and silverplated medallions of the four seasons. The unusual mock pendulum in the shape of a winged globe is another eye-catcher. This elaborate, technically sophisticated timepiece is a wonderful example of the great skill of Baroque master clockmakers throughout the lands of the Habsburg monarchy.