Clock 1685 - 1699

Editor: Here we have the “Clock” made by Johann Georg Wagner between 1685 and 1699. It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It looks like an assemblage, mostly of metal. It’s a small clock housed inside what appears to be a book! What can you tell me about its historical context? Curator: This miniature clock tells us much about the burgeoning culture of collecting in the Baroque period and the status associated with these kinds of luxury items. How does framing the clock like a book impact your understanding? Editor: I guess it elevates it…books were precious and full of knowledge, so a clock hidden inside one suggests that time itself is something valuable and to be studied, not just measured. Curator: Precisely. It's a carefully crafted object that speaks to the evolving societal relationship with time and knowledge, as well as craftsmanship. It reflects a shift from time dictated by nature or religion, towards a more regulated, human-centered perception, doesn't it? And who controlled the means for that regulation? Editor: The elite, presumably? They were the only ones who could afford these kinds of objects, making the control of time another way of reinforcing social hierarchies. Curator: Absolutely. Museums are key players here; how do museums affect how we view and interact with something like this today, as opposed to how people would have encountered it originally? Editor: Today, the focus is shifted to the clock's artistic value and craftsmanship; behind glass, stripped of daily use, divorced from any sense of urgency… Do you agree? Curator: To a point, yes. Though I hope appreciating those qualities encourages reflection on how societal values get intertwined with these objects. Editor: That's insightful. Thinking about its function really enhances my understanding!