Astronomical clock

Augsburg, Germany

Astronomical clocks were technological marvels, combining different information about time and space. They required great skill to make, and were often beautifully decorated as works of art. Jeremias Metzker’s clocks were in such high demand that he broke guild rules to satisfy his customers. Such pieces also showed off their owner's wealth and scientific knowledge. It is fitted with ten dials which give all kinds of information about the times of day, the days of the week and the positions of the planets.

Earliest Rothschild collector possibly: Alice de Rothschild; b.1847, d.1922

Credit: Accepted by HM Government in lieu of inheritance tax and allocated to the National Trust for display at Waddesdon Manor, 1990