Skeleton pendulum

Marble, bronze, porcelain, Liège, Hubert Sarton, 18th century.

This object was made by the Liège citizen Hubert Sarton (1748-1828), clockmaker and man of sciences whose renown went far beyond the Principality of Liège. This specimen, with four dials, is said to be of the Masonic type, in reference to the brace and compass decoration. Only three of these are known to exist. The name refers to the visibility of the mechanism, which allows one to appreciate its finesse and complexity.