Italian clock in lantern style

Historical significance

• Verge escapement and short pendulum, stiking of the hours with repetition of the hour on bell. Time indication on six hours, punctuating the day in four intervals.
• Brass dial plate with an hour ring indicated on six hours in Roman numerals. The minute track is in railway style, marked in Arabic numerals at five-minute intervals. Hour and minute hands are made of iron. Decorated with finials and turned feet, the clock lacks side panels.
• It was part of the prestigious Justice Warren Shepro Collection. Its rarity is due to its small size and the presence of a minute indication. Clocks with this Italian dial are usually found on public buildings, but these generally have only one hour hand, which circulates four times around the dial each day.
• Introduced by the Catholic Church in the 13th century, this type of dial, characteristic of the Lazio region, remained in use until the end of the 18th century.

Sources & references

1. Musée international d'horlogerie, online collection record, inv. IV-975: https://collection.mih.ch/fr/collection/item/61863/

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.