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Vienna, first quarter of the 19th century
- signed
- “Johan Reich à Wien” (on the plate)
- Case
- mother of pearl, brass, ormolu mounts
- Dial
- engine turned ormolu
- Movement
- verge escapement with fusee, ruby bearing, fine adjustment, engraved plate with ornate open-work balance cock
- Height
- 7 in
In the first half of the 19th century, mother-of-pearl items from Vienna were in great demand internationally as elegant luxury objects of the highest quality. The precious pieces by renowned Viennese mother-of-pearl craftsmen, such as Karl Schmid, Johann Tanzwohl and Nicolaus Rozet, can be found today in the important collections of the MET New York, the MAK Vienna and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Established Viennese clockmakers also made use of the outstanding skills of these masters of mother-of-pearl processing for the cases of their prestigious commissions. Flower-shaped table clocks “á la fleur” are a particularly appealing example of this successful collaboration between the artisans and clockmakers of the Danube metropolis.
Individually crafted mother-of-pearl petals frame the engine turned ormolu dial of this Viennese table clock. The base, also veneered in mother-of-pearl with ormolu mounts, features a small drawer for the clock key.
French pocket watch movements were often bought in for Viennese miniature clocks of the time – in this rare instance, however, the fine case is fitted with a Viennese verge escapement movement with fusee. The signature of the clockmaker Johann Reich can be found on the elaborately engraved plate. The floral theme of the clock is echoed in the design of the finely crafted balance cock with scrolling foliage and a vase.