Chariot clock

In the historical context of the Renaissance, the so-called chariot clocks born in South Germany, a centre for clockmaking in Europe that flourished between 1550 and 1650, the leading cities being Augsburg, Nuremberg and Munich.

Its popularity in much of Europe[4] gave rise to a wide diversity of models and versions in France, allowing the fullest opportunity for the sculptor and bronzesmith to express their creativity and the brilliance of their craft.

The freedom of trade initiated by the French Revolution allowed many casters, who during the ancien régime worked in workshops strictly limited to making bronze, to develop large factories.

This coincided in time with the golden age of the French decorative bronze using the ormolu technique, with a whole series of celebrated bronzesmiths creating masterpieces of design, craftsmanship and good taste, one of the most famous being Pierre-Philippe Thomire.

All followed the same basic design, featuring an ancient chariot (two or four-wheeled) on top of a rectangular, oval, oblong or mixtilinear base made out of bronze or stone, carrying figures of classical mythology deities, with the majority of them having the dial set into the wheel.

Car of History by Carlo Franzoni, 1819, features a life size statue of Clio , the muse of history. It is the largest chariot clock ever made, [ 1 ] and is exhibited in National Statuary Hall , US Capitol .
Automaton chariot clock, Augsburg second half of the 16th century. It is believed it was a gift to Tzar Ivan the Terrible .
A rare Austrian chariot clock whose case is carved in wood, c. 1810. National Watch and Clock Museum .