.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
A cabinet clock with dial of very closely related design was sold Sotheby's Amsterdam, Clocks, Watches and Wristwatches, 14 December 2005, lot 166. Sotheby's footnote suggests that probably only two such clocks were made and it may be this is the second example.
The clock demonstrates a number of sophisticated astronomical functions, including:
The rotation of the Sun, which rotates from west to east in the same direction as the Earth taking 25½ days to complete one revolution.
The indication of the Epact, which is used to find the date in the Lunar calendar from the date in the common Solar calendar.
The indication of the Golden Number, which are numbers assigned to each year in sequence to indicate the year's position in a 19 year Metonic (Lunar) cycle. They are used in the calculation of the date of Easter. The indication of the Domincial Letter, for which the letters A-G are used. For each year there is a Dominical letter, determined by the first Sunday of the year. 1 January is always A, 2 January is B and so on. If the first Sunday of the ordinary (non-leap) year is on 5 January then the year's Dominical letter will be E and all Sundays in the year will be designated E also. Leap years have two Dominical letters, which is factored into the dial on the present clock.
The clock demonstrates a number of sophisticated astronomical functions, including:
The rotation of the Sun, which rotates from west to east in the same direction as the Earth taking 25½ days to complete one revolution.
The indication of the Epact, which is used to find the date in the Lunar calendar from the date in the common Solar calendar.
The indication of the Golden Number, which are numbers assigned to each year in sequence to indicate the year's position in a 19 year Metonic (Lunar) cycle. They are used in the calculation of the date of Easter. The indication of the Domincial Letter, for which the letters A-G are used. For each year there is a Dominical letter, determined by the first Sunday of the year. 1 January is always A, 2 January is B and so on. If the first Sunday of the ordinary (non-leap) year is on 5 January then the year's Dominical letter will be E and all Sundays in the year will be designated E also. Leap years have two Dominical letters, which is factored into the dial on the present clock.