Quarter Striking Renaissance Table Clock

The dial is calibrated from I-XII on the inner edge, 5-60 on the middle section and I-IIII for the quarters on the outer edge. The plate is signed IE, 1584. Fine engraving throughout: the corners are engraved with FS below a crown on each of the plinths, the left side engraved with the Danish royal coat of arms within an engraved surround of animal-inhabited strapwork and fruit clusters. The angled base is engraved with a scene depicting huntsmen and hounds pursuing rabbits and boar.

The Danish coat of arms indicates that this clock was made for the Danish Royal family, which was a prominent force in Northern Europe during this period. King Frederick II was especially fond of hunting, feasts and wine; so the motifs engraved on this clock would have appealed to his particular passions.