HEXAGONAL TABLE CLOCK IN THE SHAPE OF A SMALL TOWER Signed in a circle on the underside of the box 'Beauvais', and marked inside 'F T 321'.
Mid-16th century
Hexagonal central body surmounted by an openworked hemispherical dome engraved with interlacing friezes, one side of the tower bearing in a reserve the arrow-shaped iron hand turning above a background engraved with a star, hour scale from I to XII in Roman numerals divided by thirty minutes, framed by an arch containing a symmetrical design of foliage ; each of the other five faces is engraved, inside the arches, with a symbolic figure mounted on a pedestal, the third of which is named Apollo; iron movement, verge escapement, thin and tall rocket with gut string and inspection door on the case, alarm clock
H. 9.8 cm (3 ¾ in.)
D. D.: 7.3 cm (2 ¾ in.)
Comparative bibliography :
C. Cardinal, "La Montre", Fribourg 1985, 19-20, pl. 3.
C. Cardinal, "L'essor de l'horlogerie portative sous la Renaissance. Les horlogers de Paris dans la première moitié du XVIe siècle, Les Objets de la Renaissance", Actes du colloque de Bournazel, 2018, to appear at the Presses Universitaires de Montpellier.
A. Chapiro, C. Meslin-Perrier & A. Turner, "Musée National de la Renaissance: Catalogue de l'horlogerie et des instruments de précision
du début du XVIe siècle au milieu du XVIIe siècle", Paris 1989, 33-35.
Sotheby's, "Masterpieces from the Time Museum", IV. 1, 2004, lot 505.
A tower-shaped hexagonal table clock, signed "Beauvais" and marked "F T 321", mid-16th century
The signature in circle on this clock is identical to the one on another clock by Beauvais, of similar shape but larger, which is in the National Museum of the Renaissance, Ecouen (Inv. ECL 14568). It is decorated with figures symbolizing the six days of the week. A second clock in hexagonal tower is in the Musée Lambinet, Versailles. It is decorated with figures of the virtues. Beauvais is probably Antoine Beauvais who, on October 23, 1536, concluded a contract with Jean de Saint Germain, sieur de Ronveron (Normandy) to provide him with a clock. Beauvais was one of the seven master watchmakers who requested the formation of a watchmakers' guild in the city of Paris. This corporation was created at their request by François I in 1544. In a document associated with the promulgation of their statute, Beauvais is named "?Antoine Mestrel dit de Beauvais?". In addition to the Ecouen clock, he is known to have a drum clock, formerly in the collections of the Time Museum, Rockford, Illinois, and two astrolabes, one of which is dated 1551.