Longcase Clock

The court-clockmaker Christian Ernst Klemeyer (1766 - 1812) was one of Berlin’s most important clockmakers. His living dates are not known, but there is archival evidence that he was master in 1790, and from 1800 he was running a "clock factory" with twelve employees and in 1812 he delivered several clocks to the Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam.

The architectural clockcase with its simplicity and clean lines, reducing the pompous decorative motifs usually, used on furniture of the time, to a minimum, is very advanced for its time. The clockcase has a central ebony medaillon with a gilt-bronze allegorical figure of Prudence holding a serpent and a mirror. The bronze decoration is of exceptionally high quality and probably made by the renowned Berlin bronze manufacturer Werner & Mieth.

The signed enamel dial with Roman hour numerals I-XII, Arabic 5-60 minute marks and inner 1-31 date indication. Minute, hour and date hands are made from engraved brass, the centre second hand in blued steel. One-week going movement striking the full hours on silvered bronze bell.