Antique one handed water clock / Clepsydra

This is a one-handed wall water clock or clepsydra. Fill up the brass tube reservoir, open the little spigot, and water drips into the bottom reservoir. T's a float (shown in one of the pics) attached to the chain that goes around a sprocket and turns the hand in front of the dial. As the water level drops, the hand turns. The dial indicates that this is a 24 hour clock. Water must be refilled once a day. 33 1/2" tall, dial and bottom reservoir 9 3/4" wide, body of clock 7" wide. Thick brass dial and hand, beautifully made and engraved. Sheet brass reservoirs and info plate on the bottom, also beautifully made and soldered. Wood is likely wormy chestnut. Info plate on the bottom is engraved with 17th century-style angel head and wings and scripted, T. Wimbush fecit ("Fecit" is Latin for "made it") A. D. of Gerolde Town, York, 1685 Bottom reservoir has a scene engraved on it, as the picture shows. I have not filled the reservoir or tried to turn the valve, nor have I cleaned the brass or wood. As I understand it is a very collectible reproduction of early water clocks from Chapman Manufacturing of Massachusetts. It does say "Made in Italy." This is really a great piece of engineering history with great patina and fabulous conversational piece. It does say "Made in Italy." I have read that the first water clocks were made to limit attorney's from talking too long in Asia. The technical term for a water clock is clepsydra. The classic clock and watch book Britten's Old Clocks and Watches (9th edition) notes that, even though mechanical clocks were becoming somewhat more common and more reliable by the 17th century, "the clepsydra showed the most promise (compared with other non-mechanical clocks) and was even revived in the seventeenth century to the accompaniment of considerable ingenuity." <<...>>

Condition

Used (normal wear)