Beschreibung:

A fine North Italian bone inlaid architectural night timepiece Geo Pietro Callin, Genoa, circa 1685 The small circular rear winding single fusee movement with inverted verge escapement regulated by short disc bob pendulum and four baluster pillars pinned through the backplate signed Geo. Pietro Callin to centre, the mechanism mounted on a scroll-pierced arched crossmember positioned behind the dial and with pivot to the apex of the frontplate for the revolving hour disc driven by motionwork and incorporating two smaller revolving discs each pierced with Arabic hour numerals visible through circular apertures cut within the outer band of the principal disc, the 13.5 by 10.5 inch rectangular copper dial finely painted with a landscape incorporating Chronos to the left passing Roman numeral hours up to the arched aperture for the revolving hour disc painted with cherubs in flight and pierced with numerals I, II and III for the quarters to upper margin, the opposing side of the dial painted with Death as a skeleton holding a sithe receiving the Roman numeral hour discs and placing them into a stone sarcophagus inscribed ALTERMINE COMVNVS SIATUT ORA, the finely detailed Baroque case with open arch pediment centred with a small upstand inlaid with two foliate scroll panels capped with scallop shell carved shallow arch tympanum flanked by scroll-carved infill over lintel with plain frieze and tight cornice mouldings, the front with rectangular door applied with raised mouldings to the dial aperture flanked by generous hipped carved side scrolls, the conforming breakfronted base incorporating key drawer fronted with a pair of panels each inlaid in bone with symmetrical scrolls around a vacant cartouche over deep cavetto moulded skirt fitted with six bun feet, 52cm (20.5ins) high. A Pietro Calim is recorded in Baillie, G.H. Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World as 'German Keeper of clock on Palazzo delle Compere' 1677-85; although little else appears to be known of Callin a few clocks signed by him are known including; An impressive ebonised tall alter clock with allegorical dial painted by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, The Poldi Collection, Milan. An ebonised night clock with dial painted with a Saint at prayer, Cambi, Genova, 18th November 2014, lot 136. An ebonised table clock with silent-pull quarter repeat included in this sale as the following lot. In addition to the above another night clock almost certainly from the same workshop but signed 'Giovanni Carlo Calin' was offered at Christies, New York THE ABBOTT GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION , 27th January 2015, lot 118. This example is particularly relevant as it exhibits similarly composed dial decoration of Chronos and Death passing the hours to the current lot. Finally a table timepiece of noticeably similar design to the following lot (and with almost identical dial) but signed 'Giovanni Battista Batta Callin' is illustrated in Tardy LA PENDULE FRANCAIS. 3'eme Partie, Provinces et Etranger on page 417. The Italian preference for this design of night timepiece (where the time is displayed by shining a light source through moving apertures in the dial) is thought to have come about via the Campani brothers in Rome who were apparently first asked to produce such a timepiece (with silent escapement) for pope Alexandre VIII in 1665. Indeed it appears that, despite the obvious impracticalities and inherent fire risk, their popularity endured until the end of the century - long after most of the rest of Europe had adopted pull quarter-repeating as a more practical solution for telling the time during the hours of darkness. The case of the current lot is particularly finely proportioned and detailed with crisp architecturally correct mouldings indicating that it was made by a specialist craftsman familiar with the principals of Classical architecture and Palladianism. The use of ebony for the veneers and mouldings coupled with the unusual bone inlaid panels indicate that the present clock would