Strongbox with clockwork

1750

Not on view

This sumptuous-looking strongbox is an extraordinary example of Berlin Rococo style, an interpretation of the rococo that was tailored to the taste of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia (r. 1740–1786). Frederick's name became synonymous with Rococo décor; in his honor, it was later called “Friderizianisches Rococo.” It may have been used to store the King’s seal, which represented the head of state in his absence to validate important contracts. The intricate lock, which has twenty-two sliding bolts requires two keys and secret knowledge to open; the keyhole to initiate the ceremony is hidden underneath the base of one of the soldiers stationed around the top. A collaboration between clockmaker Alexander Fromery and court gunsmith Christian Ludwig von der Fecht, the strongbox is an unparalleled showpiece of both the King’s taste and his artisan’s talent.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Strongbox with clockwork
Maker: Alexander Fromery (German, 1695–1775)
Maker: Christian Ludwig von der Fecht (German, 1710–1753)
Date: 1750
Culture: German, Berlin
Medium: Iron, steel, copper, brass, partially silvered and gilded; glass, red silk velvet
Dimensions: confirmed: 21 1/2 × 22 5/8 × 13 7/8 in., 110 lb. (54.6 × 57.5 × 35.2 cm, 49.9 kg)
Classifications: Metalwork-Brass, Metalwork-Iron
Credit Line: Purchase, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Acquisitions Fund, 2022.
Object Number: 2022.366a–d
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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