Beschreibung:

A SWISS ORMOLU-MOUNTED TORTOISESHELL MUSICAL AND DOUBLE SIX-HOUR STRIKING GRANDE SONNERIE PIPE ORGAN CLOCK attributed to pierre jaquet-droz, chaux-de-fonds, switzerland, circa 1780 The molded white enamel Roman and Arabic chapter disc with elaborate pierced and chased ormolu hands, within a gilt-brass mask applied with an ormolu mount of two palm trees flanking an Ionic arch, the movement with rectangular plates and four-back pinned pillars, verge escapement with silk-suspended pendulum with crescent moon bob, the polished steel and brass rack-and-snail work planted on the backplate with double six-hour grande sonnerie strike on two bells above, the pipe organ tripped off every hour or at will employing a massive double-chain fusee movement playing through fifteen pipes via a large bellows and 24cm. long wood barrel with steel pins, the well-proportioned case with concave-molded top surmounted by an ormolu urn embellished with berried laurel swags, the galleried break arch top with four urn finials, large foliate-cast handles above the side doors; the right door with a trellis-cast sound fret with two holes for the organ's twin fusees and with trip-cord to release the movement at will, the left door applied with a white-enamel Arabic chapter disc numbered 1-8 with blued steel hand enabling selection for one of eight tunes, heavy ormolu foliate-cast mounts to the chamfered sides terminating in foliate-cast scroll feet 33½in. (85cm.) high