A very unusual early Italian ebonised night clock with annular dial, circa 1660

The interesting dial with a beautiful young women holding a skull in her hand. The explanation of the subject is the circle of life .
Above the head of the lady an aperture and behind, a circular dial rotating indicating the hours of the day/night - visible in the night by a candle inside the case.

The typical Italian baroque ebonised wooden case with nicely detailed gilded woodcarvings.

The movement very inspired by the invention of the famous scientist Christiaan Huygens, the inventor of the verg pendulum escapement. He invented the pendulum movement around 1657. With this clock the escapement is built on the bottom side of the rectangular movement.

At the back of the clock the backdoor and inside the system to hold the candle to light the time on the front of the clock.This system was made of thin iron and protected from the fire - a kind of chimney is connected to the system to bring the smoke and heat outside the case.