A perpetual calendar
France, 1721.
Eglomisé technique with etched gold and silver leaf, glaze pigments, printed paper, red and brown ink on paper, papier maché. Softwood frame carved and gilded over red bole, H 26.2, W 21 cm.
This rare item is an example of a so-called "perpetual calendar", with a date set from 1721 to 1796. Its numerous functions can be controlled via four twisting knobs on the reverse. An aperture for the month with Christian feast days is located in the arc below the Vanitas motif, below it the length of the days, including the time of the sunrise. Beneath the central vignette is the time of sunset and the length of the night, as well as information on the zodiac flanked by the moon phase, and days of the week and month. Full moons are shown in the aperture below.
Thus far, only five reverse glass painted calendars are known to exist: in the Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte, the Historisches Museum der Stadt Regensburg, the Uměleckoprůmyslové Museum in Prague, the Stadtmuseum Kaufbeuren and the Vitromusée Romont/Switzerland.
Provenance
Art market, Paris.
Literature
Illus. in Steiner, Goldglanz und Silberpracht – Hinterglasmalerei aus vier Jahrhunderten, Berlin-Munich 2015, no. 33.
Illus. in Weber/Sagner/Sauter/Pellengahr, Die protestantischen Hinterglasbilder des Stadtmuseums Kaufbeuren, Thalhofen 2017, illus. 70.
Exhibitions
2015 Schaezlerpalais der Kunstsammlungen und Museen Augsburg.