Exceptionally fine, rare and important Louis XVI ormolu-mounted mahogany organ and dulcimer eight day-going, four-tune astronomical musical longcase clock fitted with center seconds, date, phases of the moon and striking hours and half-hours with

Exceptionally fine, rare and important Louis XVI ormolu-mounted mahogany organ and dulcimer eight day-going, four-tune astronomical musical longcase clock fitted with center seconds, date, phases of the moon and striking hours and half-hours with automatic or on demand tune change. Christian Kintzing a Neuwied, cabinet by David Roentgen, c. 1778 Christian Kintzing a Neuwied, cabinet by David Roentgen, made for Comte Florimond de Mercy-Argenteau, Austrian Ambassador to the Courts of Louis XV and Louis XVI, with original music composed by Christoph Willbald Gluck, circa 1778. Exceptionally fine, rare and important Louis XVI ormolu-mounted mahogany organ and dulcimer eight day-going, four-tune astronomical musical longcase clock fitted with center seconds, date, phases of the moon and striking hours and half-hours with automatic or on demand tune change. C. Mahogany, rectangular, top with canted corners supported by ormolu consoles with acanthus leaves hung with laurel swags, masks of young women mask flanked by grapevines, arched hood surmounted by an ormolu figure of Apollo with his lyre, the front with glazed door with ormolu caryatids surmounted by ormolu urns hung with grapevine garlands, sides with hinged door fitted with a panel of green silk, the interior with mahogany trellis-work, paneled trunk with canted corners de-corated with ormolu grapevines, sides with hinged doors fitted with panels of green silk and with mahogany trellis on the interior framed by ormolu beaded frame, rectangular plinth, dado decorated with ormolu rosettes, canted corners with ormolu busts of young women and acanthus leaves, ormolu covered consoles, rectangular feet fitted with ormolu plaques. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track with five-minute Arabic markers, winding apertures at 4, 6 and 8 o'clock, inner Arabic date ring, set on gilt dial plate decorated with putti at each corner, top silvered arch with aperture for phases of the moon with its age sector, outermost with tune selection sector (Andante, Menuet, Polonaise, Allegro). The striking and music control levers are placed in the following manner: the lever outside 9 o'clock is for striking/silent of the striking movement, when set to the left, the music plays every hour, when set to the middle, every three hours, and to the right, no music, the lever at 3 o'clock controls the carillon: with the lever up it plays twice, with lever down it plays once. M. Heavy brass, three-train with heavy weights, anchor escapement, bob pendulum, rack striking, pinned brass barrel (28 x 14 cm), organ with two rows of 36 pipes and a dulcimer with 28 hammers, large rectangular bellows, control lever for controlling the pitch of the sound on the right side. Signed on the movement. Dim. Height 330 cm., width 73 cm., depth 45 cm.