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an old book with a black and white design on it
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1647 - Automata – Astronomy
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Estimate €1,400 - €2,000
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Description
Automata – Astronomy Rungell, Matthaeus A Brief Description of the Great Clockwork in Augsburg. With a title vignette. Augsburg, David Francken, 1619. 6 leaves. 8°. Paperback (slightly stained). A rare contemporary description of Augsburg’s famous ‘great clockwork’, an extraordinary early modern automaton and astronomical clock. - VD17 23:289296S - The text pays tribute to the mechanism begun by the Augsburg clockmakers Jörg Roll and Hans Reinolt and completed by Matthäus Runggel, thereby documenting an outstanding example of the combination of mechanical clockmaking, astronomical representation and musical automaton in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The full title explicitly names Roll and Reinolt as the original creators and Runggel as the one who completed the work. The clock in question is of particular technical and cultural-historical interest as a complex combination of a celestial or astronomical clock and a mechanical organ. Runggel, who had married Georg Roll’s widow following Roll’s death, continued the work developed by Roll and completed the ‘Great Clock’ in 1596. The 1619 publication thus not only describes the functioning and the ambition of this spectacular exhibit, but also preserves the memory of the Augsburg masters involved and of the highly developed local tradition of precision engineering, instrument-making and craftsmanship. The history of the clockwork described here extends beyond Augsburg: the famous attraction was sold to Genoa in 1622; Runggel himself oversaw the transfer, which was documented by notarial deeds. This publication is therefore also an important source on the provenance and early reception history of a masterpiece of German automaton art that is now lost or can only be understood through historical accounts. An important and rare Augsburg print on the history of astronomy, timekeeping and early modern mechanics. At the same time, it is an illuminating document of Augsburg’s culture of urban representation, whose technical showpieces were understood in a European context as an expression of craftsmanship, scientific learning and civic prestige. – Overall, a very well-preserved and clean volume. A rare contemporary description of the famous ‘Great Clockwork’ of Augsburg, an extraordinary early modern automaton and astronomical clock mechanism. - This text pays tribute to the mechanism—begun by the Augsburg clockmakers Jörg Roll and Hans Reinolt and completed by Matthäus Runggel—thereby documenting an outstanding example of the fusion of mechanical horology, astronomical representation and musical automation in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The full title explicitly names Roll and Reinolt as the original creators and Runggel as the person who completed the work. The clock in question is of particular technical and cultural-historical interest as a complex combination of a celestial or astronomical clock and an automated organ. Runggel, who married Georg Roll’s widow after Roll’s death, continued the work initiated by Roll and completed the ‘Great Clock’ in 1596. The 1619 publication thus conveys not only the functionality and ambition of a spectacular showpiece but also preserves the memory of the Augsburg masters involved and the highly developed local tradition of precision mechanics, instrument making and craftsmanship. The history of the clockwork described extends beyond Augsburg: the famous attraction was sold to Genoa in 1622, with Runggel himself overseeing its transport, a process documented in notarial records. The present text is therefore also a significant source regarding the provenance and early reception history of a masterpiece of German automaton art – a work now lost, or known only through historical records. An important and rare Augsburg publication concerning the history of astronomy, timekeeping, and early modern mechanics. At the same time, it is an illuminating document of Augsburg’s civic culture of representation, in which technical showpieces were understood within a European context as expressions of artisanal innovation, scientific learning and civic prestige. – Overall, a very well-preserved and clean text. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to the standard tax regime. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
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