Lot 10
A rare late 19th century silvered, gilt and patinated bronze automata timepiece in the form of an ironclad battleship
15 December 2009, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £20,400 inc. premium
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Find your local specialistA rare late 19th century silvered, gilt and patinated bronze automata timepiece in the form of an ironclad battleship
The realistically modelled ship with revolving propeller and gun turret set with 2.5 inch silvered Roman dial, single barrelled movement with cylinder escapement and aneroid barometer to the opposite side, the deck with twin ventilator and chimney stacks set with mercurial thermometers, ships wheel and lifeboat to the rear, the rough sea modelled in cold patinated bronze on an brass-trimmed onyx base, the spring driven automata movement's winding aperture sealed with a chained cork with gilt brass cover to the side of the hull 58.5cm (23in) wide and 33cm (13in) high.
Footnotes
The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire, was launched by the French in 1859 and the ships that followed played a big role in the American civil war.
This model is based upon a combination of ironclad battleships rather than a particular ship. An example of this rotating gun turret can be seen behind the crew of USS Monitor in the illustration; this gun boat famously took part in the battle of Hampton Roads. The USS Monitor, a low lying ship with central rotating cannon turret, designed by John Ericson, described as a "cheesebox on a raft".
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