Museum Speelklok Collectie

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Actions	Details Remove from selection Add to selection Image(s) TitleMusical Clock with Bell Playing Mechanism and Automata, ‘Jacquemarts Clock' Creatorunknown Year ca. 1550 Object number1019 Object categorymechanical instruments with bells, timepieces with musical movements Object nametimepiece with bells, table clock DescriptionThis early mechanical movement works on the same principle as the tower carillon, with descending weights, a programmable cylinder or drum and a set of bells for playing the music. There are five gears, each driven by five weights. Quarter past, half past and quarter to are indicated with one, two and three beats by the quarter beat movement. The whole hour is marked by four beats of the quarter striking movement after which the playing movement comes into action. After a complete revolution of the playing drum, at the end of the melody, a pin attached to the side of the drum highlights the hour striking. The playing drum rotates fully in about 30 seconds. Six keys - one for each note - lift up the hammers, after which they fall back under their own weight and strike the corresponding bell. Accompanying textsSix hammer springs cause the hammers to spring back slightly after each beat, leaving the bells free to resonate properly. The fact that the drum is reprogrammable means that the repertoire could be changed. However, it is unknown whether the music was often changed on this type of instrument. What we do know is that the melody on it today is not original. Due to the small number of bells, only simpler repertoire is possible. It is hard to imagine today, but around 1550 it really was an amazing phenomenon that you could make music without a musician. After the development of the tower carillon, musical clocks appeared for the living room. Although, of course, such an instrument was not for everyone. Around 1550, musical clocks were mainly found among monks and later also among the well-to-do. Of these earliest European self-playing instruments, monks were also the makers. This example is the oldest piece in the collection of Museum Speelklok. Dimensions geheel height: 80 cm geheel width: 45 cm geheel depth: 36 cm cilinder length: 6 cm cilinder diameter: 11 cm klok plus sokkel height: 200 cm klok plus sokkel width: 60 cm klok plus depth: 60 cm Keywordsprogrammadrager: cylinder geluidsbron: bells aandrijving: weights echappement: verge escapement Digital references

Image(s)

TitleMusical Clock with Bell Playing Mechanism and Automata, ‘Jacquemarts Clock'

Creatorunknown

Year ca. 1550

Object number1019

Object categorymechanical instruments with bells, timepieces with musical movements

Object nametimepiece with bells, table clock

DescriptionThis early mechanical movement works on the same principle as the tower carillon, with descending weights, a programmable cylinder or drum and a set of bells for playing the music. There are five gears, each driven by five weights. Quarter past, half past and quarter to are indicated with one, two and three beats by the quarter beat movement. The whole hour is marked by four beats of the quarter striking movement after which the playing movement comes into action. After a complete revolution of the playing drum, at the end of the melody, a pin attached to the side of the drum highlights the hour striking. The playing drum rotates fully in about 30 seconds. Six keys - one for each note - lift up the hammers, after which they fall back under their own weight and strike the corresponding bell.

Accompanying textsSix hammer springs cause the hammers to spring back slightly after each beat, leaving the bells free to resonate properly. The fact that the drum is reprogrammable means that the repertoire could be changed. However, it is unknown whether the music was often changed on this type of instrument. What we do know is that the melody on it today is not original. Due to the small number of bells, only simpler repertoire is possible.

It is hard to imagine today, but around 1550 it really was an amazing phenomenon that you could make music without a musician. After the development of the tower carillon, musical clocks appeared for the living room. Although, of course, such an instrument was not for everyone. Around 1550, musical clocks were mainly found among monks and later also among the well-to-do. Of these earliest European self-playing instruments, monks were also the makers. This example is the oldest piece in the collection of Museum Speelklok.

Dimensions

geheel height: 80 cm
geheel width: 45 cm
geheel depth: 36 cm
cilinder length: 6 cm
cilinder diameter: 11 cm
klok plus sokkel height: 200 cm
klok plus sokkel width: 60 cm
klok plus depth: 60 cm

Keywordsprogrammadrager: cylinder
geluidsbron: bells
aandrijving: weights
echappement: verge escapement

Digital references

Details