The Private Collection of Theodor Beyer

Hotel Baur Au Lac, Zurich, Nov 16, 2003

LOT 23

Invanté par Passemant Ingenieur du Roy au Louvre A Paris, circa 1765. Highly important and extremely rare tellurion orrery driven by 2-week going, hour and half-hour striking clock in painted wooden case, with an option for manual demonstration.

C. Circular, side with three hinged glazed windows separated by gilt columns, front with the clock within giltlaurel-leaf frame, molded base, four molded feet, octagonal gilt molded top. D. White enamel, Roman numerals, outer minute divisions with five-minute Arabic markers, winding apertures at 4 and 8 o'clock. Gilt brass Louis XV hands. M. Rectangular domed, brass, full plate, going barrels, anchor escapement, steel rod/brass bob pendulum, silk suspension, adjustment via arbor protruding through the dial, striking on a bell, count wheel on the back plate.Tellurion movement. Demonstrating the solar system with the Sun, Earth and the Moon, the Sun in the center, small terrestrial globe inclined at 23.5o surmounted by gilt brass ring connected to the ring of the Sun's seasonal changes of the latitude, blue and white moon with dark section always turned away from the Sun, rotating around the Earth in 29.5 days, age of the moon dial, provision for disengaging the train so that the orrery may be turned at will via a crank lever. The mechanism driven off the going train barrel, brass bar with train of wheels supported by bridges, transmitting the movement to the Earth's movement around its axis, from there to the movements of the Moon; the Moon's rotation around its axis, around the Earth and its latitude (via a cam). Another train of wheels via an endless screw (worm gear) transfers the Earth/Moon movement to the rotation around the sun, steel pointer showing the correct day on the annual ring painted on the top of the case with additional Zodiac and Earth angular position indications.Signed on dial, movement, and orrery.Dim. Height 45 cm, diam. 65 cm.