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A Bourgeois Curiosity: Snuffbox with Watch, Bavarian National Museum

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A Bourgeois Curiosity: Snuffbox with Watch, Bavarian National Museum Empty A Bourgeois Curiosity: Snuffbox with Watch, Bavarian National Museum

Post by koimaster Sun Jul 07, 2013 10:45 am

The Bavarian National Museum houses one of the most important clock and watch collections in Germany. In addition to remarkable table clocks dating from the 16th and 17th centuries and various large Baroque clocks, mainly owned by the Wittelsbach family, the collection includes over 300 pocket-watches and pocket-watch movements.

Acquired on 4 December 2012 at the auction of the István Heller collection held at Sotheby’s London, and now on long-term loan from its private owner, the watch presented here, in a snuffbox dating from 1736/1737, complements the different strands of the collection in this section of the museum in a number of ways.

Description

The outer case of the watch is a silver snuffbox, more or less oval and slightly shell-like in shape. The box is wound round with several horizontal profile strips that are curved in a labiate fashion on the lower part. The double lid is opened by means of fine ridge. The convex lid of the snuff box is gilded on the inside to protect the tobacco from discoloration. The lid itself conceals a smaller chamber that is opened by a flatter lid on the upper side, revealing the a small watch set into the lid, surrounded by gilded acanthus and strapwork engravings. Roman numerals and Arabic numerals, in black enamel that is damaged in places show the hours and minutes respectively. on the silver dial. In the centre, set around the hands axis, the dial is signed with the name FÜRSTEN / FELDER. Pressing on a small bar unlocks the movement, which folds back to the right via a hinge. The circular balance cock is decorated with elaborate chasing and engraved with strapwork and acanthus as well as a central female bust; beside this is also the regulating disc with the numerals 1 to 6. On the remaining surface, the watchmaker has again signed his name as B FÜRSTENFELDER and added the number 442. The fuse-and-chain movement with verge escapement is entirely guilded and the watch is key-wound.

Benedikt Fürstenfelder and the art of watchmaking in Friedberg


http://journal.hautehorlogerie.org/en/article/a-bourgeois-curiosity-snuffbox-with-watch-bavarian-national-museum/
koimaster
koimaster
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Join date : 2009-12-17
Location : Oregon

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