Dutch 18th century wall clock, Amsterdam, Dirk Koster

Movement.
The one-day movement has a going train with an anchor escapement. The rack striking train strikes the hours and half hours on two bells; this is also known as the Dutch striking mechanism. The movement also includes an alarm mechanism.

Dial.
The dial with gilt centre and silvered engraved ring displays the hours in Roman numerals and the minutes in Arabic numerals. The numeral ring is flanked at the corners by gilt bronze openwork. Above the numeral VI is a date display, and centrally placed within the lunette is a moon phase indicator. The clock is signed on the numeral ring: Dirk Koster Amsterdam. Dirk Koster worked in Amsterdam in the 1740s and had a workshop on Vijzelstraat.

Case.
The oak case is veneered with walnut. The dial with lunette is covered by a glazed door flanked by pilasters with Dorian pillars. Above this is a bonnet with a concave top, crowned with an Atlas figure and two buglers. The case’s “tail” has the shape of an oblong container inside which the pendulum is located. The pendulum is accessible via a removable panel that also contains a lenticle.

Provenance:
F. van Kollenburg Antieke Klokken, Oirschot, 1987
Private collection, Belgium