Rare Empire Timepiece with Organ c. 1790

Probably by Christian Ernst Kleemeyer, Berlin, with weight-driven brass organ movement, 1-air 14-inch (36 cm) helical pinned wood barrel with 31 pipes in two rows, enameled Arabic dial, single-train time movement in ebonized urn with giltwood lion's head handles and plaque engraved: "Nur die gegenwartige Minute darff der Mensch seyn nennen", fluted mahogany column and pedestal base with giltwood relief of intertwined serpents and a classical male harpist, ht. approx. 107 in. (270 cm), two front panels on plinth unobtrusively replaced. – Attributed to Christian Ernst Kleemeyer (born c. 1739), court clock-maker to Friedrich Wilhelm II. – The "Monatliche Schatullrechnungen 1742–1786" record payments to Kleemeyer in January 1782 for the repair of a table clock and in November 1785 for a console clock. – Organ clocks by Kleemeyer are to be found in the Museum of Musical Instruments of the University of Leipzig and the Musical Instrument Museum in Berlin. Signed examples of his work include musical secretaires and clocks with architectural elements, such as the example seen here. – References: http://quellen.perspectivia.net/bestaende/spsg-schatullrechnungen/personen/p2694. – See "Mozart and Mechanical Music" by Helmut Kowar, in "Journal of Mechanical Music", Spring 1992, p. 27, for a very similar (if not identical) piece. – Provenance: Ex-collection of Jan Brauers. – An early and impressive instrument worthy of exhibition.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)