Lot 15 | Highly important courtly longcase clock made of nutwood and cedarwood

HIGHLY IMPORTANT COURTLY LONGCASE CLOCK MADE OF NUTWOOD AND CEDARWOOD.

Electoral Palatinate.
Date: Around 1745.
Maker/Designer: The clockwork by Jacob Möllinger from Neustadt, the case attributed to the courtly ebonist Ferdinand Zeller from Mannheim.
Technique: Nutwood and cedarwood polished and laid-in and in parts with carvings. Gilt clock face with silver plated dial.
Description: Elegantly curved case, segmented in three parts with lateral lesenes and high, curved
cornice. The lesenes decorated with volutes. Fields of block parquetry framed by ribbons.
The dial with Roman numbers and Arabic minute markers, central alarm clock dial, small
second under the XII, lateral each a setting for strike, no strike and activating and not
activating the chime. Over the dial settings for twelve different melodies. Eight-day
movement with quarter hour strike on chime. The musical mechanism with cylinder and chime
on fourteen bells, with a total of twelve different melodies.
Measurement: 277x64x37cm.
Mark: The clockwork inscribed 'Jacob Möllinger Neustadt'.


Provenance:
-Collection of the margraves and grand dukes of Baden.
-Castle Mannheim, castle inventory Mannheim page 256 O.No.6.
-Collection Prof. Thomas Olbricht.

Literature:
-Auction catalogue Sotheby's. Die Sammlung der Markgrafen und Grossherzöge von Baden, Baden-Baden 5th to 21st October 1995, Lot 153.
-Jürgen Abeler: Meister der Uhrmacherkunst, Wuppertal 2010. Master see p. 389.

The clock offered here certainly marks a highlight in the oevre of Jacob Möllinger, clockmaker at the palatine court. The case, which is reminiscent of furniture designs by Mainz ebonists, can with great probability be attributed to the Mannheim court ebonist Ferdinand Zeller. It is very likely that this extraordinary and important longcase clock was commissioned for the elector Karl Theodor.