A Rock Crystal And Silver-gilt Clock By Hermann Ratzersdorfer, 19th Century

Exceptional clock embodying the elegance and refinement of the Renaissance style through meticulous work of rock crystal. It is distinguished by its vermeil mount enhanced by polychrome enamels which frame rock crystal panels finely sculpted with scrolls. Fantastic animals surmounting the four corners of the entablature as well as the small character at the top carrying a bowl of fruit are decorative elements borrowed from the vocabulary of the Renaissance. Its dial, decorated with Roman numerals, presents a scene of two figures draped in the antique style. At the back an opening door reveals the movement.
Master goldsmith hallmark: HR for Hermann Ratzersdorfer.
Five-lobed hallmark with the head of Diana in profile, a crescent moon touching her forehead, the mark of the city under her nose and the mark of finesse on the nape of the neck.
The title is "3" for 800/1000.
Chip on the enameled dial, small crack on the upper part of the rock crystal.
Hermann Ratzersdorfer (worked between 1845-1894) The Ratzersdorfer firm was founded in 1845 and lasted until the end of the 19th century. He was an important creator and won numerous medals at several universal exhibitions (London 1852, Paris 1855, Vienna 1873). His creations are particularly inspired by the 16th and 17th centuries. These objects, mixing rock crystal, silver or vermeil mounts, colored enamel, were intended to imitate objects found in cabinets of curiosities during the Renaissance (like that of Rudolph II in Prague) which showed the wealth and taste of its owners.
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