{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O332394"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O332394/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011FC4115/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011FC4115/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011FC4115","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011FC4114","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EV6066","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EV6045","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EV6065","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2010ED6401","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O332394/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O332394","accessionNumber":"M.234:1 to 8-1916","objectType":"Clock case","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"A skeleton clock on an ormolu frame with enamelled dials and mahogany plinth, signed 'Robin a Paris', French, early 19th century. The so called 'skeleton' clock was introduced during the reign of Louis XVI at a time when there was increased interest in the scientific aspects of time keeping. The clock movement was immediately visible whilst reading the time. This clock was made by Nicholas-Robert and Jean-Joseph Robin, sons of Louis XVI's clockmaker Robert Robin, who succeeded to their father's business on his death in 1799. ","physicalDescription":"Case: ormolu clock with polished slate plinth, enamelled dials, and brass skeleton frame. In a glazed cabinet on a mahogany pedestal with ormolu mounts. The frame rises on four lions' legs terminating in winged lions' heads. An openwork plaque of floral design hangs from the large dial; the smaller one above is supported by acanthus leaves; both have moulded ormolu frames. The mahogany pedestal is decorated with an applied openwork plaque of floral design in front with the figure of a nymph holding a garland in a lozenge shaped frame and four swans in circular frames with a festoon at each end and rests on four knob feet. The dial for the phases of the moon is painted with a landscape. The clock strikes hours and half hours. \n\nDial: the steel and gilt brass hands, pierced in the shape of a lyre, show seconds, minutes, hours, day of week, and day of month, and the upper dial the phases of the moon. The main dial is of ormolu, recessed to receive a white-enamel chapter ring. The outer minute-ring also serves as a ring for the centre-seconds, having 60 main divisions and intermediate half-divisions for the half seconds and is numbered in Arabic at 15, 30, 45, and 60. Within this is a set of roman hours I to XII, and two further internal rings: a set of figures 1 to 31 for the date and, within this, a set of abbreviated weekday names in French in the upper half of the dial and a set of corresponding planetary symbols representing the phases of the moon. The clock strikes hours and half-hours, and has a pin-wheel escapement and gridiron pendulum. In glazed cabinet on mahogany pedestal with ormolu mounts, depicted a figure of a nymph holding a garland and four swans in circular frames. The backplate is signed 'ROBIN A PARIS'. French; early 19th century.\n\r\nMovement: both going and striking trains, both with going barrels rotating once in 3 days and giving at least 14 days duration. The going train has an Amant-type of pin-wheel escapement and a gridiron compensation pendulum, with 5 steel and 4 brass rods. The heavy brass-covered lead pendulum bob is supported at its centre and there is a knurled regulating screw. A simple thermometer mechanism is incorporated in the pendulum, part of which is missing, but the indicating pointer survives, also the scale, engraved on a white-enamel arc, ranging from +15 to -15 marked 'Chaud', 'Tempere' and 'Froid', entitled collectively 'Clementa suis propriis annis victo (Clements their own years in defeat). The striking train is of locking-plate type, and the count-wheel permits an extra single stroke at each half-hour. The calendar and lunar mechanisms operate once per day, and are released by a lever projecting from a wheel driven by a 3:1 speed-up from the great wheel of the striking train. The star-wheels for the date and day-of-the-week hands have 31 and 14 teeth respectively, and the ratchet wheel for the lunar dial has 59 teeth.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Robin, Nicolas Robert and Jean-Joseph","id":"AUTH347406"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"The sons of celebrated French royal clockmaker Robert Robin succeeded to their father's business in partnership"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ormolu","id":"AAT11048"},{"text":"gilt-brass","id":"x38746"},{"text":"steel","id":"AAT133751"},{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"}],"techniques":[{"text":"openwork","id":"x32481"},{"text":"piecing","id":"AAT231250"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"ormolu, slate, enamel, brass, gold leaf, steel","categories":[{"text":"Clocks & Watches","id":"THES48976"},{"text":"Scientific instruments","id":"THES49042"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[{"text":"Neo-classicism","id":"x38958"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2011FC4115","2011FC4114","2011EV6066","2011EV6045","2011EV6065","2010ED6401"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES303525"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES303489"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES303509"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES303440"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES303525"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES303525"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES303525"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES303525"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Clock","id":""}],[{"text":"Key","id":""}],[{"text":"Pendulum","id":""}],[{"text":"Clock case","id":""}],[{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"}],[{"text":"enamel","id":"AAT14910"}],[{"text":"fragment","id":"AAT117130"}],[{"text":"frame","id":"AAT189814"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"early 19th century","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1850-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Robert Robin (1741-1799) enjoyed French royal appointments from 1763.  In 1778 the Academy of Sciences  approved two of his inventions; one was an astronomical clock acquired for Louis XVI; the other his mantelpiece clock with astronomical indications for which he used the best case makers and dial enamellers. There were forty clocks by Robin in French royal collections at the end of the 18th century. During the terror Robin produced decimal watches and clocks. He was succeeded by his sons Nicholas-Robert Robin (1775-1812) and his elder brother Jean-Joseph (d.1858)  who were awarded a silver medal for at the 1806 Products of Industry Exhibition and bronze medals in 1819.  They worked for Louis XVIII and for Madame la duchesse d'Angouleme, the daughter of Louis XVI."}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Gift from Somers Clarke","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2, 5.8","unit":"ft","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Clock","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Clock","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"6","unit":"ft","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"cabinet and pedestal","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"2, 5","unit":"ft","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"cabinet with pedestal","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"9.6","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"cabinet with pedestal","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":" +15 -15  'Chaud', 'Tempere' 'Froid' 'Clementa suis propriis annis victo'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":" hot temperate cold  and 'Clements their own years in defeat'","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed on the thermometer which forms part of the pendulum"},{"content":"ROBIN A PARIS","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Robin in Paris","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed on the back of the movement"}],"objectHistory":"Given by Somers Clarke","historicalContext":"This is a new form of clock that emerged during the reign of France’s King Louis XVI (1638-1715) with its movement on view; known as ‘skeleton clocks’.","briefDescription":"Skeleton clock with case, signed ROBIN A PARIS, early 19th century","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"The clock was probably made by one of the sons of Robert Robin (1742-1799), clockmaker to Louis XVI. Both Nicholas-Robert Robin (1775-1812) and his elder brother Jean-Joseph (d.1858) worked for Louis XVIII.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.234:1-1916","M.234:2-1916","M.234:3-1916","M.234:4-1916","M.234:5-1916","M.234:6-1916","M.234:7-1916","M.234:8-1916"],"accessionNumberNum":"234","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1916,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Clock","Key","Pendulum","Clock case","frame","fragment"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-08-12","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}