Making Marvels—Musical Automaton Clock with Spinet and Organ

Each part of this marvel, a combination of clock, musical instrument, and automaton, would have added to its expense. Its production required the cooperation of several artisans. The clock’s case is marked “eben,” which the cabinetmaker’s guild used to indicate real ebony (and not a cheaper substitute), and its corners are embellished with fine silver caryatids (female supporting ornaments). Clocks like this one—the earliest surviving example of its type—made it possible to enjoy recorded music at home. A multisensory entertainment for the noble classes, this piece has a clockwork mechanism that plays three jaunty original compositions (one of which can be heard in this video) on a spinet and an organ. It also sets in motion a cast of commedia dell’arte figures that dance in a circle or spin and jump on the hour. The mirrored panels behind them are positioned to create the illusion of a large ballroom; the trick is simple yet effective. Featured Artwork: Musical Automaton Clock with Spinet and Organ, ca. 1625. Veit Langenbucher (1587–1631) and Samuel Bidermann and Son (1540–1622). German, Augsburg. Silver, brass, iron, gilding, ebony, hardwood, parchment, leather, textile, paint. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Clara Mertens Bequest, in memory of André Mertens, 2002 (–f) Subscribe for new content from the Met: Learn more about this exhibition: #art #themet #themetropolitanmuseumofart #museum #MakingMarvels #Automaton © The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2019