Musical Clocks. A musical clock is a clock that marks the hours of the day with a musical tune played from a spiked cylinder either on bells, organ pipes, bellows, and for quartz clocks, using an electronic sound module.
One of the earliest known domestic musical clocks was constructed by Nicholas Vallin in 1598, and it currently resides in the British Museum in London. Reference: Wikipedia
Musical Clock with Spinet and Organ,ca. 1625 Veit Langenbucher German
Inside the ebony case of this musical clock is an extremely rare and important instrument consisting of a sixteen-note pipe organ and a sixteen-string spinet that may be played independently of the organ. Made by the renowned team of Samuel Bidermann and his son (also Samuel)–the father’s L-shaped pinning style appears in this work–and Viet Langenbucher, the extraordinary piece includes, in addition to the organ and spinet, a clock and five carved and colorfully clad commedia dell’arte figures that perform a circling dance in the clock’s tower when the instruments sound to mark the hours.
The complex clock is perhaps the most musically elaborate automatic instrument to survive from the early seventeenth century. Its three airs, probably by composer Hans Leo Hassler (baptized 1564-1612), the elder Bidermann’s teacher and once keeper of the knowledge of pinning barrels in Augsburg, are stored on the original pinned cylinder. Most cylinders and their tunes were replaced by subsequent generations, but this one was spared to provide us with an extremely rare musical document that allows us to hear the airs as they were played in the seventeenth century.
Reference: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
French musical automaton fitted with clock, 1870-1900 Made c 1890
This automaton features six colourful animated birds, a waterfall, a tree surrounded by rocks and plants, a pond with three miniature waterbirds, and a clock. The mechanism, including bellows and a flute to reproduce bird calls, is hidden in the base and activated by a key.
While the names of its makers are unknown, it was probably crafted in Paris in the late 1800s, with clock by Japy Frères (Japy Brothers) and automaton by the Bontems family. Blaise Bontems (1814-1881) was renowned for making automata with realistic songs, including those of the nightingale, canary, finch and blackbird.
Reference: Museum of Applied Art and Sciences
Exceptional Federal Cherrywood Tall Case Seven-Tune Musical Clock, Martin Cheney, Windsor, Vermont, Circa 1809 dial inscribed M. Cheney / WINDSOR and the tunes: St Mary. = Marquis of Granby. = Duke of Argyle = Mrs Casey = New Jersey = Scotch Luck = Pleasures of Solitude. Height 105 in. by Width 26 in. by Depth 14 in.
Martin Cheney was one of three sons who learned the trade from their father, Benjamin, in East Hartford, Connecticut. The brothers relocated to southern Vermont around 1800, Martin settling in Windsor, Russell in Putney and Asahel in Royalton. After about nine years, Martin moved north to Montreal where he carried on his business into the late 1830s. The three-train brass musical movement shows the influence of the Cheney family’s Connecticut roots. On the outside, it appears to be a Daniel Burnap movement, with the bulbous pillars, deadbeat escapement and count wheel strike that are generally associated with his work. The ‘Osborne’ dial is made of painted iron and was imported from Birmingham, England. The chimes play seven tunes of 10 bells and hammers, changing automatically at midnight, or manually by hand. The f holes on the sides of the hood are similar to those found on a violin.1
This rare and important Musical Tall Clock descended in the Cutting family of Weathersfield, Vermont and is signed by the maker, “M. Cheney, Windsor,” for Martin Cheney of Windsor, Vermont. A possible original owner may be Jonas Cutting I (1762-1842), whose son, Jonas Cutting II was born in Weathersfield, VT in 1790. Martin Cheney was born in East Harford, CT, the son of the clockmaker Benjamin Cheney (active 1745-1780). He trained under his father and in 1805 moved to Windsor, VT, where he established his own clock making business. His life and career are discussed in Vermont Clock and Watchmakers, Silversmiths and Jewelers, by Lilian Baker Carslisle. According to the author, “Martin Cheney, clockmaker and silversmith, was born in 1778 in East Hartford, CT, the son of Benjamin and Deborah Cheney…His father was one of New England’s finest clockmakers and worked from about 1745 to 1780.
Benjamin Cheney and his brother Timothy Cheney were especially noted for their majestic tall clocks with wooden works cased in carved cherry wood cases…Martin, who probably served his apprenticeship with his father and uncle, came to Windsor about 1803 and on December 5 of that year married Fanny Patrick in that town.” The author noted the explosion of sophisticated architecture and furniture that filled Windsor, “The Birthplace of Vermont”, after 1800; “The constitution of Vermont was drawn up in Windsor and in this town many of the historic men of Vermont met and did business. With its growing power, the town attracted residents of a cultivated taste. Its architecture was the best of the times and the homes and taverns displayed spacious open porches, stately pillars, arched and corniced ballrooms for dancing – all early signs of advancing luxury. To embellish and dignify their splendid homes, the residents demanded furnishings of equal magnificence and there was a ready demand for the choice and elegant clocks made by Martin Cheney. Some of the clocks told not only the hours, but the days of the month and changes of the moon, and some of them had musical accompaniments with a tune for every day of the week, and a special meditative air for Sundays.”
With the complexity of the musical movement and inlaid decorated case, this clocks stands as a prime example of the products supplied by the sophisticated craftsmen that were drawn to Windsor during the Federal era. The clock’s size, complexity of movement, intricate decoration to the case, all support the clock’s significance from the day it was made until today. Interestingly, Martin Cheney only stayed in Windsor for five years, from 1805 to 1809, supporting a narrow manufacture date of these few years. After leaving Windsor, Cheney moved his business to Montreal, Canada, where his last known advertisement appeared in 1827.
Sold for 87,500 USD at Sotheby’s in 2018
A large table clock with a cream and floral painted case, cut-glass columns, glass dome and spheres, with gilt-brass fittings including crescent moon finials. The clock face has Arabic numerals.
Decorative scheme The clock case has a complex decorative scheme evoking fantasy architecture, the top decorated to suggest minarets with fixed, facetted glass spheres which sparkle in the light. The reflective gilt-brass fittings and the pastel painted decorative scheme also give a light and airy impression.
In the centre a cut-glass sphere rises above a facetted and textured cut-glass dome, both held in place by a vertical gilded wood rod. Above this is a tall brass finial surmounted by an upturned crescent moon. There are four matching glass spheres with tall crescent finials, one at each corner of the case, supported on small painted pedestals. The dome is raised on a drum-shaped platform, painted with pink and cream bands and decorated with four pierced gilt-brass panels and surmounted by four small gilt-brass urns with flame finials. This platform rests on the flat top of the clock case surrounded by four larger gilt-brass flaming urn finials, one at each corner.George Prior (1735-1814) was the most significant clockmaker exporting clocks and watches to Turkey in the late 18th century. In order to supply an expanding trade he also retailed clocks made by other makers, adding his name to the clock faces. He exported thousands of watches, and a smaller number of lantern clocks and musical bracket clocks. Many clocks supplied by Prior and others were made and packaged ready for export by the firm ‘Thwaites’, whose name appears on the movement of this clock. John Thwaites, who had premises in Rosoman Row, Clerkenwell, took over from his father Ainsworth in about 1780. Most clocks made for the Turkish market have plain mahogany cases but this musical clock is a particularly elaborate example with a delicately painted case. It incorporates design elements that appealed to Turkish buyers, such as the glass dome and crescent-moon finials.
Reference: © Victoria and Albert Museum
Cabinet Clock with Musical Movement Agate panels framed by elaborate rococo cage-work form the body of this miniature cabinet, which contains a complex musical mechanism and supports a clock. Although the cabinet is unsigned, it is undoubtedly the work of the noted London goldsmith and entrepreneur James Cox, many of whose creations were destined for Eastern markets. The clock was made by James Hagger, probably at an earlier date. This particular example is said to have belonged to the dowager empress of Russia, Maria Feodorovna (1847-1928). Fabergé produced a copy of this clock in silver and nephrite, now in the collection of the Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Washington D.C. The velvet-lined leather box for this clock, which the Walters also owns, shows that it was likely originally crowned by a jeweled finial that was later replaced with the small flame that now tops the piece.
Reference: The Walters Art Museum
A rare mid 18th century double automata twelve-tune musical table clock on 24 hammers and 12 bells Thomas Monkhouse, London The bell topped case with five original finials over a moulded cornice and four term figures to each canted corner, on a stepped base raised on brass block feet, the 8.5inch arched dial surmounted by a silvered arc detailing the choice of twelve tunes: Cassino, Minuet; Cicely Badger; Sukey bids me; Minuet; Scots Bonnet; March; Birks of Abergeldie; The Waterman; Lungolee; Air de Jolie; The Egg Hornpipe, over a polychrome painted scene depicting a male and female musical quintet featuring two standing woodwind musicians and three seated string musicians (the latter three originally with articulated arms bowing, one now remaining), over a recessed scene of a couple dancing, each figure comprising of two shaped and painted pieces hinged at the waist to emulate separate upper and lower body movements, each moving as the tune plays out, and performing in front of a painted audience, the dial with subsidiaries for Chime/Silent and Strike/Silent over a silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with recessed signature plaque to the painted centre, with date aperture, the massive triple chain fusee movement with fancy T-shaped plates, united by eight knopped pillars, with original verge escapement rack striking the hours on a large bell, playing one of twelve tunes on 13 graduated bells and 24 hammers, the shaped backplate engraved with foliate scrolls surrounding the signature Thos Monkhouse, London. 70cms (27 1/2ins) high
Sold for £ 17,562 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2019
