A RARE DATED MID 17TH CENTURY LITHUANIAN ENGRAVED GILT BRASS TABLE CLOCK Jacob Giercke, Villnya, 1654 The 3.75 inch square dial with chiselled decoration to the four corners depicting birds and flowers framing the silvered Roman chapter ring with T-shaped half-hour marks and twelve brass touch pieces, the centre engraved with Jesus standing before Pontius Pilate, in an engraved square frame, over four oval glazed panels raised on silvered winged claw-and-ball feet, the hinged base plate set with the bell on a blued steel bridge and engraved gilt brass locking piece opening up to reveal the signed and dated backplate 'J.G. Vilny. 1654' with pierced and engraved cock over the steel un-sprung balance to a verge escapement and chain fusee with engraved brass barrel, the strike with floral engraved countwheel and shaped brass hammer head engraved with a stylised head, powered by a spring within an engraved barrel and pierced blued steel locking gate. 10.5cms (4ins) square Footnotes: J.G. would appear to be Jacob Giercke, listed as working in Willensis, Vilnius (Lithuania), circa 1660. One of his clocks is in the National Museum of Lithuania. Another is illustrated in Vehmeyer H.M. (2004) Clocks their Origin and Development. Gent Snoeck-Ducaju & Zoon, page 160, item G33. Provenance: Purchased from Klein Westphal Antiques, Amsterdam, June 1991. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com