Objekt 34
Vending machine clock with elephant
Description
The joy of playfulness and mystery gave rise to a variety of automaton clocks since the end of the 16th century. Animals were among the most common figures. The elephant of this clock, made of fire-gilded cast bronze, carries on its back a baldachin-shaped structure in which the clockwork is housed. The movement of the automaton is located in the body of the elephant. By turning one of the rosettes, the elephant can swivel and shorten its trunk, move its eyes back and forth, fan its ears, as well as move its tail.
Object description
Manufacturer: Martinez
London, late 18th century
Bronze, gilded
Bequest Carl and Lini Nathan-Rupp, Binningen
Inv. 1982.1200.