Objekt 20
Watch in the shape of a ball
Description
The gold case in the shape of a sphere shows decorations in opaque cloisonné enamel on black-ground enamel: Draperies, branches with a bird's nest and doves, and a swan next to a fountain. The clock is wound from the dial side with a key that is not preserved. Later, in the second half of the 19th century, a mechanism is developed for small clocks in the shape of a ball, which allows winding without a key by twisting the two halves of the case. These "Boules de Genève" (Geneva balls) enjoyed great popularity well into the 20th century, worn as pendants on a chain.
Object description
Manufacturer: Moïse Constantin, signed
Geneva, around 1790
Gold, enamel
Bequest Carl and Lini Nathan-Rupp, Binningen
Inv. 1982.1074.