ASTRONOMICAL GRANDFATHER CLOCK WITH DAY, MONTH, DATE, AND MOON PHASE Baroque, 18th century and later. The movment signed and inscribed 'Johan Smit Amsterdam'.

Walnut inlaid with light/dark fillets and a flower basket, and carved with rocailles. Rectangular case, the upper part in part glazed, with three gilt figures on top and on claw feet. Silvered and engraved chapter ring with the hours in Roman numerals and the minutes in Arabic numerals. Central second hand, and piercings for the month, day, and moon phase. Dial painted as a theatrical backdrop featuring a Dutch bay with tossing ships moving every second. Striking mechanism, striking the 1/2-hour on two bells. Brass weights.
73 × 37 × 296 cm.

The case highly restored. Slight cracks. Signs of use.

The case of the exceptional grandfather clock on offer shows strong parallels to a clock in the Musée David et Alice Van Buuren (Uccle, Belgium) (Inv. 11015189). Unlike the example on offer, the dial of that clock is signed by the clockmaker Johannes du Chesne and is dated to the period around 1730-1750. Furthermore, the dial of the clock in the Belgian museum is arranged differently, and the distinctive seconds' play with the tossing ships is entirely absent. Another grandfather clock with a very similar case, which was on offer on the French art market in 2013 (Cf. Vente aux enchères à Cheverny, Lot No. 106), has the same signature and inscription "Johan Smit Amsterdam" on the dial. The design of the dial of that clock also differs from that of the grandfather clock on offer.