Turm, Spiegel, Buch

In the Early Modern period, astronomical table clocks were among the most complex and indeed most expensive objects produced in the centers of craftsmanship in southern Germany such as Augsburg and Nuremberg. While the extensive information provided by the various timekeeping systems, the positions of the sun, the moon and the zodiac, and the many other features is truly impressive, an equally surprising element is the central principle by which the table clocks are designed: their presentation in the shape of other objects. The study shows how clockmakers developed formal strategies to set the scene for their outstanding craftsmanship and expertise. Astronomical table clocks fitted out with casings in the form of towers, mirrors or books thus take on the symbolic interpretation of these artefacts as technological wonders, images of the cosmos, and vessels of heavenly knowledge. From the invention of the spring drive to the implementation of the pendulum clock, the study offers countless findings on the practice and teaching of technology, art, and science.

Auteur

Susanne Tührigen, Germanisches National Museum Nuremberg.