My knowledge of clocks is next to nil, but my attraction to beautiful things knows no bounds--and I find this very very beautiful! Clearly, it is quite an old hand-engraved brass clock dial, which I really love for its folkiness, with stars in between each Roman numeral and sun at the center. Based on some research my guess would be that it was once the face of a lantern clock-- a type of antique weight-driven wall clock shaped like a lantern which became common in the 17th century as the first type of clock widely used in private homes--and based on comparison with other examples I would guess this dates to the 18th century. (These types of clocks had become obsolete by the 19th c). It is signed Fretel on the face (I assume the last name of its maker) and features a carefully done old repair to the the XII on the back side. Quite a radiant thing that to me beautifully embodies how the hour of the day is all about the position of the sun.
7 5/8" in diameter and in very good condition, with a few small holes in the brass as evident. There are small holes around the perimeter that would make for easy hanging.I have photographed it in a few different lighting conditions to try to capture the details.
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