Lot 66The Property of an Important Swiss Private Collector
SWISS, GOLD QUARTER REPEATING FIVE-ACTION AUTOMATON JACQUEMART POCKET WATCH
CASE NO. 2996
Fermé21 July 2020
Estimation
CHF 6,000–9,000
Plus d'informations
Note du spécialiste
The present watch is a rare form of a quarter repeating automaton in which figures appear to strike the hours when the repeating is activated while being concealed during normal timekeeping. It shows a representation of Pulcinella combatting the Hangman, derived from the Greek God Chronos, based on the famous 16th century personage of Italy's Commedia dell'Arte, known in many countries under different names such as "Mr. Punch", "Polichinelle" or "Kasperl".
The repertory of Pulcinella's 'descendants' corresponds in broad outlines with that of their forefather: the protagonist fights with the beast (monstrous dog or crocodile), he has to combat the Death, he is confronted with the hangman and the gallows, but always triumphs over his opponents.
Jaquemarts have a long tradition and figure already in the first edition of the French National Academy's dictionary, which appeared in 1694, with the following definition:
"JAQUEMART. Figure de fer ou de fonte, représentant un homme armé, laquelle on met d'ordinaire sur le haut d'une tour pour frapper les heures avec un marteau sur la cloche de l'horloge." - "Figure made of solid or cast iron representing a man in arms, which is usually put up on top of a (clock) tower to strike the hours with a hammer onto the bell of the clock."
Watches decorated with the miniature versions of these clock tower "men in arms" were very popular in the 19th century.
A comparable example of this rare automaton was in the Ed. Gélis collection in Paris and is illustrated and described in: Le Monde des Automates, Chapuis et Gélis, 1928, p. 34, fig. 295.
The repertory of Pulcinella's 'descendants' corresponds in broad outlines with that of their forefather: the protagonist fights with the beast (monstrous dog or crocodile), he has to combat the Death, he is confronted with the hangman and the gallows, but always triumphs over his opponents.
Jaquemarts have a long tradition and figure already in the first edition of the French National Academy's dictionary, which appeared in 1694, with the following definition:
"JAQUEMART. Figure de fer ou de fonte, représentant un homme armé, laquelle on met d'ordinaire sur le haut d'une tour pour frapper les heures avec un marteau sur la cloche de l'horloge." - "Figure made of solid or cast iron representing a man in arms, which is usually put up on top of a (clock) tower to strike the hours with a hammer onto the bell of the clock."
Watches decorated with the miniature versions of these clock tower "men in arms" were very popular in the 19th century.
A comparable example of this rare automaton was in the Ed. Gélis collection in Paris and is illustrated and described in: Le Monde des Automates, Chapuis et Gélis, 1928, p. 34, fig. 295.