Beschreibung:

An important German gilt-metal astronomical quarter striking astrolabic table clock David Buschmann Augsburg. Dated 1625 (1652) THE CASE on gilt-metal sphinx feet to each angle supporting the moulded base cast in repoussé with pounced foliage in high relief, wooden base board with wax seal imprinted on the underside, the side panels each stamped on the inside with the Augsburg pineapple within a shield, the plain columns on foliate engraved pedestals flanking a panel engraved with foliage and central flowerhead beneath each subsidiary strike dial with elaborately enamelled silver discs, the bells housed within a foliate cast and chased basket dome supporting a balustraded gallery surmounted by an open scrollwork corona surmounted by an armilliary sphere engraved with the Signs of the Zodiac and dated 1625 THE MAIN DIAL with twice XII silvered narrow chapter ring and outer gilt minute ring engraved with Arabic five minute markers and Roman quarter hour markers, the centre set with an inner Arabic 24 hour ring for Italian hours centred by adjustable blued steel and silver shutters for displaying the hours of daylight and darkness, the six month brass saints' ring engraved on both sides with every day of the year with its relevant saint, the subsidiary dials as follows; lower left indicating the days of the week with their corresponding deity engraved and decorated with champlevé polychrome enamel, lower right engraved with the months with their corresponding Zodiac signs decorated with polychrome enamel, top left for hour/silent and top right for quarter hour/silent THE ASTROLABE DIAL with outer narrow twice XII chapter ring with gilt centre, the revolving rete pierced and engraved with the sixteen star constellations and the Zodiac, the gilt-metal double-ended rule indicating against the rete the hours of daytime, the other engraved with the sun indicating the position of the sun through the Zodiac throughout the year, the centre engraved with the phase and age of the moon, the subsidiary dials; lower left for ascertaining the golden number and dominial letters, the right dial engraved with the alarm disc, the top right dial regulating the rate, top left for switching between 12 and 24 hour striking system THE MOVEMENT triple chain fusees, the going train wound through the astrolabic dial running through the centre of the clock terminating with a verge escapement with balance wheel regulation now with steel hairspring, the open tabled balance cock pierced and engraved with flowerheads, the hour strike train wound through the right side signed on the side plate David Buschmann aug with an elaborate florally pierced and engraved set-up to the blued steel click, the twice 24 calibrated silver dial decorated with multicoloured enamels to the centre depicting exotic birds with foliage and flowerheads; the quarter train on the left side again with elaborate florally pierced and chased set-up work to the blued steel click for the spring barrel, the silver quarter dial elaborately engraved and decorated in multicoloured enamels with squirrels inhabiting scrolling foliage and flowerheads 23 in. (59 cm.) high