Long case clocks started to decorate the interiors of living rooms, parlours and entrance halls from the middle of the 17^th century. The earliest clocks with verge escapement and short pendulum were placed in cases no more than 180 cm high. But already in the 18^th -19^th centuries, when they began to use the lever escapement and the Graham escapement, requiring a long pendulum, the height of the clock reached up to 270 cm. The frame of the long case clocks was usually created by art furniture makers. The clock movement case was often made of the same wood and with the similar design elements as the furniture set. Having become an interior element, long case clocks carve out their niche among decorative items. They reflected All stylistic nuances of the time were reflected in them.

In the XVIII century, Long case clocks for entrance hall gained recognition. They were created in Germany, Holland, England, Scandinavia. The cabinet consisted of three parts - a plinth, a tall case with pendulum and upper part with clock movement. The case was traditionally finished with spherical decorations with spires. Rather often such clocks had a complex mechanism indicating the moon phases and calendar dates. Russian craftsmen, imitating their colleagues from Western Europe, made similar "English cases" for clocks even in the 19^th century, skilfully revealing the natural beauty of mahogany, black wood and Karelian birch. Metal dial of such clocks had a square shape with semicircular shield. In the shield, watchmakers inserted elements of decoration in the shields, as well as various scales for switching on and off the striking mechanism, selecting a musical device, calendar or astronomical indicators, or automata.

Coming from France in the 18^th century, the Boulle style – furniture decorative style named after the French craftsman Andre-Charles Boulle, with inlays of various materials, began to be used in long-case clocks design. In the 19^th century, when floor clocks became more make more affordable to various strata of the population, and there was a need to place them in rooms with lower ceilings, the upper part of the clock became flatter, many elements of design – crowns, spires, spheres, disappeared from clock cases. The sleek, slender case of these clocks, with its slightly widened base, had two glazed doors through which the round dial, pendulum and weights of the clock movement could be seen. Carefully polished case gave the elegant and austere clock lustre and refinement.

Today our traditional column "Exhibit in Detail" features musical long case clock with organ mechanism and automaton, created in Germany circa 1860.

Long case clock in mahogany veneered polished wooden frame is mounted on oak wood latticed pedestal. The case façade is in the form of a pictorial image in rectangular frame with narrow dark layouts. Monochrome depiction of military operations involving ancient artillery on the painting background. The image of two symmetrically arranged heraldic lions resting their front paws on the glazed clock face built into the painting are on the foreground, white dove with outstretched wings is above them. Enamel dial with Roman numerals hours’ graduation; with Arabic numerals for minutes’ graduation (every fifth minute) and two central straight hands. Automaton in the form of brass band consisting of six figures of musicians in uniform coats and caps is on the upper case upper side. Wooden frame-shaped backdrop is behind the figures. Painted landscape with the river and rural houses in the foreground and mountains in the background is in the frame. Organ pipes are placed behind the backdrop. Dial indicating the number of the melody to be played with digits from 1 to 8, pinned wooden barrel lock, a handle for lifting the weights and two knobs for the organ register loops are on the case left side. Pinned wooden barrel, secured by the hinged brass spring lock is loaded through ornately shaped window on the case right side. A chain with weights, a pendulum and a cord for manually starting the automaton are taken out through the apertures in the case bottom. The automaton and organ are switched on every hour at the signal of the clock – the figures of musicians start to move, the organ plays one of eight melodies.
Musical media is pinned wooden barrel.