Clock
| Artist/Maker |
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Object details
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 6 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Silver and gilded silver, ebonised wood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory, glass |
| Brief description | Table clock, assembled from 17th-century shrine and clock, in its current configuration probably Berlin, 1880-1900 |
| Physical description | Silver-gilt, ebony and ivory clock of architectural form in three sections. The rectilinear base supports a central body which is framed by a triumphal arch on each of the four sides. The top storey supports a lantern. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | (Gallery 70, case 2)
1. Table clock
Assembled 1880–1900 (Shrine, 1620–40. Clock, about 1690)
This magnificent clock is a 19th-century creation, combining a 17th-century shrine and a table clock. Made to appeal to specialist collectors, the shrine’s original Christian nature can still be seen in the figure with a telescope (above the dial), who was adapted from a representation of Christ. Such transformations are masterpieces in their own right.
Probably Berlin, Germany (Shrine: Augsburg, Germany. Clock: Friedberg near Augsburg, Germany; central figure the god Mars: possibly South Germany with later elements)
Silver and gilded silver, ebonised wood with mother-of-pearl and ivory inlays, clock mechanism
The clock dial inscribed ‘Kreitt Maÿr’ for Elias Kreitmayer
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.66:1 to 7-2008(16/11/2016) |
| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: Collection Seckel, Berlin, ca. 1890. Collection Nathan Ruben Fränkel (1848-1909), Frankfurt a. Main. Private Collection, Milwaukee, ca. 1975. Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1987. Nathan Ruben Fränkel was a successful Jewish clockmaker from Frankfurt. Alongside his business, he built up an encyclopaedic collection of timepieces. We do not know what happened to this clock after his death and in the years before it resurfaced in 1975. This uncertainty is alarming because of the extent of persecution experienced by his family. Friedrich and Klara Fränkel, who ran a thriving watch business in Frankfurt, were forced into bankruptcy by the Nazis. In 1938, they fled to France where they narrowly escaped deportation and survived the war in hiding. This object formed part of the V&A's special provenance display 'Concealed Histories: Uncovering the Story of Nazi Looting' (December 2019 - June 2021) |
| Production | The clock movement dates from circa 1690 and was made by Elias Kreitmayer |
| Summary | Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996. |
| Associated object | LOAN:GILBERT.66:5-2008 (Part) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.66:1-2008 |
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| Record created | June 27, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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