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Longcase clock by Johannes Meckevelt, 1775–1799 — view 1 of 1
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Movements & Components · Longcase clock

Longcase clock by Johannes Meckevelt, 1775–1799

DocumentedDocumented from the holding institution's catalogue record.
Maker / attribution
Johannes Meckevelt (Maker)
Date
1775–1799
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Place
Vorden plaats van vervaardiging
Object type
Longcase clock
Materials / technique
metaal eikenhout perenhout
Holding institution
City Museum Zutphen
Accession / object no.
V 00595
Credit line
City Museum Zutphen
Catalogue title (original)
Staartklok (Dutch)

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Record summary

Held and catalogued by City Museum Zutphen (object number V 00595), this is a longcase clock by Johannes Meckevelt, made in Vorden plaats van vervaardiging, dated 1775–1799. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Movements & Components collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: metaal eikenhout perenhout. The record is illustrated with 1 photograph.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Catalogue description from City Museum Zutphen

Staartklok (type Kortstaart) laatste kwart 18e eeuw. Kast van peren- (?) en eikenhout, nu zwart gebeitst, losse schuifplank met rond slingervenster, aan de bovenkant van de staart bevinden zich, ter ondersteuning van de kap, aan weerszijde uitgezaagde voluten. De afschuifbare kap met in de toog snijwerk met twee voluten die elkaar in het midden raken, met daarboven een bekroning van een spitse houten gestoken denneappel. Zwart geschilderde metalen wijzerplaat met tinnen cijferring en messing gegoten wijzers, deels verguld. Hoekornamenten van lood of tin, met lofwerk in de vorm van maskeron omgeven door bladranken, idem toogornamenten in de vorm van engelkopjes en bladranken. Midden in de toog van de wijzerplaat bevindt zich op een loden medaillon de gegraveerde signering: 'Joohannes Meckevelt Vorden'.

Shown in the original language of the source catalogue. An editor-reviewed English translation has not yet been published; we do not publish machine translations as authoritative text.

Historical context

Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)

Harrison solves longitude; Mudge invents the lever; Breguet's Paris workshop defines the modern watch.

The age of escapement invention: cylinder, duplex, lever, detent and many experimental escapements; compensation balances and fine finishing.

Read the period in the timelineMore movements & components from this periodEarlier: Early Modern Horology

Atlas type guide

Cases, keys and accessories

Clock and watch cases protect the movement and express taste and status. Watch cases were made by separate specialist case-makers whose marks, along with assay hallmarks, help to date and place them. Clock cases were the work of cabinet-makers, bronze founders, ceramic factories and silversmiths, so they belong as much to the history of decorative arts as to horology.

Keys, chatelaines, watch stands, watch papers and winding tools are part of the material culture of timekeeping: they show how timepieces were worn, displayed, wound and maintained.

What to look for

  • Case maker's sponsor's marks and assay hallmarks in gold and silver cases.
  • Materials: shagreen, tortoiseshell, enamel, porcelain, jasperware, gilt bronze.
  • Breguet-style ratchet keys, crank keys and watch-key fobs.
  • Engraved names, presentations and dates.

Dating clues

  • English hallmark date letters allow exact dating of the case assay.
  • Porcelain cases from Meissen and Sèvres: mostly eighteenth century.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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