Zoom
Vienna, around 1840
- Case
- ebonized and polished fruit wood, floral casein painting, front made of brass
- Dial
- enameled
- Movement
- anchor escapement, weight driven, silk suspension
- Height
- 19 ¾ in
This miniature wall clock is one of the rare pieces of this mostly spring-driven type of clock with a weight drive. The movement is wound with the help of a smaller counterweight. It is equipped with an anchor escapement and a short pendulum with thread suspension. The enamel dial is mounted on a brass front with a round gable. The wall board made of ebonized polished fruitwood is decorated with floral casein paintings. In casein painting, the color pigments are bound with the help of casein (a natural, organic binding agent), which results in a particularly good brilliance of color and opacity. The technique itself is already very old and was used in early cave paintings.
cf.: E. Bassermann/H. Bertele: Uhren, vol. VII, Würzburg 1976, p. 447, fig. 344b.