Mirror clock, gilded brass and copper (ca. 1565–70)
Master CR (German, active before 1565) produced the internal movement for this timepiece, shaped like a hand mirror. Hybrid human figures, satyrs, and masks cover the stem and base in high relief.
The central dial features an astrolabe with a revolving zodiac circle and a calendar ring, allowing for the tracking of astronomical cycles.
Technical components like the iron wheels and spring-driven trains reflect the engineering standards of sixteenth-century Nuremberg.
Loc. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Dim. 40.6 cm H x 15.9 cm W (16 x 6 1/4 in.).