The Peacock Clock
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- For more than two centuries now the Hermitage has been adorned by a unique exhibit that never fails to evoke the enchanted admiration of visitors - the famous Peacock Clock. The figures of a peacock, cockerel and owl that form part of this elaborate timepiece-automaton are fitted with mechanisms that set them in motion.
The creation of mechanical birds had long been of interest to inventors: back in the Ancient World figures of "singing" birds had been used to embellish clepsydras - water clocks. In the 18th century the makers of automata tried to create a system that would enable their birds not only to sing, but also to behave as if alive, and they made them life-size. In the middle of the century, for example, the whole of Europe admired the mechanical duck made by the French craftsman Jacques de Vaucanson, which was able to eat, drink, move and behave in the most life-like manner.
The most celebrated creator of mechanisms of this sort in the second half of the 18th century was the London jeweller and goldsmith James Cox. His fertile imagination generated ideas that were then turned into reality by the craftsmen and mechanics of his company. Cox's firm produced a large number of elaborate automata, sumptuously decorated in a great variety of ways, for European and Eastern clients. Cox became truly famous, however, when in 1772 he opened his own museum - the Spring Gardens, in which he exhibited a large number of mechanical figures of exotic animals, birds and human beings. To fund the making of expensive automata Cox organized lotteries: in London in 1773 and in Dublin the next year. A surviving catalogue of the Dublin lottery lists two peacocks as numbers 6 and 8. From the description of the items it is clear that this pair of automata differed from the Hermitage composition: the peacock was perched on an oak stump, around which two snakes twined. There is no mention of the figures of a cockerel and owl, or of the mushroom that acts as the clock dial.
The history of the Hermitage's Peacock Clock begins in 1777, when the Duchess of Kingston visited St Petersburg. Balls were given in the Russian capital in honour of this wealthy and distinguished guest. Grigory Potiomkin, who met the Duchess in society, learned of James Cox's magnificent mechanisms. Pandering to Catherine II's passion for collecting, the Prince commissioned the celebrated craftsman to make a monumental automaton with a clock for the Empress's Hermitage. In order to meet this expensive order as quickly as possible, Cox, whose financial affairs were currently not in the best of health, decided to use an existing mechanical peacock that featured in the Dublin lottery. He expanded the composition with a cockerel, owl and a clock mechanism with a dial incorporated into the head of a mushroom, and removed the snakes. To create his new automaton, Cox recruited the assistance of Friedrich Jury, a German craftsman who had settled in London.
The Peacock Clock arrived in St Petersburg in 1781. The records of the Winter Palace chancellery listing the valuables that Catherine II acquired in that year include mention of two payments - on 30 September and 14 December - to the clockmaker Jury for a clock delivered from England. The payments amounted to 11,000 roubles (around 1,800 pounds sterling) and were made from the Empress's personal funds on the basis of a letter from Prince Potiomkin.
The clock was brought to Russia in pieces. At Potiomkin's request the Russian mechanic Ivan Kulibin set it in working order. From 1797 to the present day the Peacock Clock has been one of the Hermitage's most famous exhibits. It is, moreover, the only large 18th-century automaton in the world to have come down to us unaltered and in a functioning condition.
Words cannot describe the genius it took to construct such an amazing piece. From human hands it was formed. From human mind it was conceived.
Divine inspiration I'd say, actually xxx
James Cox created other pieces, they are now on the exhibition in Science Museum in London until June 2024. Worth a visit. The sad thing James Cox died in poverty and bankruptcy. Very sad.
Simply a masterpiece. The peacock clock is like witnessing the Mona Lisa or Michaelangelo's David. This is the pinnacle of clockmaking.
Hey!, I’m a MichaelW too!!
I've never seen anything like this in my whole life!!!
The Mona Lisa is nothing compared to this clock. Mona Lisa is actually severely, severely underwhelming in person and is extremely overrated.
Was lucky enough to have seen this in person. Seriously, this thing is amazing. The more you looked at it, the more details and new things you see.
Imagine having it at your 🏡 when you can look at it everyday and everyday you'd discover something new!
You’re truly blessed. I can only know in my heart that it’s much more exquisite in person.
@@The_Beast_666 this peacock clock still rings on every wednesday????
Making this today would take a circuitboard and a computer. Imagine making this in 1700s. Every pully, knob, gear, piece of gold, etc had to be handcrafted and subsequently the analog gears all had to make sense. Astonishing
wonderful clock-- so very glad it survived the 1917 Revolutions and the Second World War! fantastic!
I’m in awe of this masterpiece. What I wouldn’t do to study, see and hear it in person.
Geniuses walk among us. How on earth was this ever built? Imagine the incredible complexity of the mechanism and individulal moving parts! :-O Absolutely "out of this world" amazing.♥
Klasse Freunde
да уж
I've never seen anything so beautiful! I'm stunned speechless.
I will never forget being awed by this beautiful work of art! 🇨🇦🇨🇦💕💕
Impressive master piece of art. Humanity is very lucky for keeping this awesome clock to admire.
I watched that when I was on holiday in Russia June 2012 , so beautiful , wonderful , amazing
Kudos to the unsung heroes who Generation after generation have been taking care of it, oiling it and keeping it in better shape and condition than Leonardos lost Lion and other automatons .
It is amazing that something like this was created in the mid 1700s. Not only is it mechanically ahead of the time period in which it was built but is also artistically beautiful. Just think of how many creative works were destroyed because of wars and yet this Peacock Clock survived them all.
That golden peacock by itself is a piece of art!what an exquisite clock!
Absolutely outstanding ! IT has to be the best mechanical automaton/ clock , i have ever seen, would like to see the item for real , what a craftsman! . Must have blown people's minds when first created. Some of the best items were produced in the 18th century. A great item and enchanting to watch !
Wonderful! Hopefully this elaborate gift to Catherine paid off. 😄
Not only is the clock a magnificent work of art and technology for the time period, the entire area it is displayed in is absolutely stunning. You can just see the aristocracy, all dressed in their finest mingling and dancing. What stories that room and clock could tell.
Before they were all lined up and shot by communists? Its amazing it wasnt melted down
@@Ryan98063 It was well kept even during the WWII, when the city was besieged and more than one million people died from starvation.
Beautiful. Incredible. But the wealth it took to make this came from the suffering of untold numbers of serfs. That, too, should be factored into this equation.
@@Hklbrries 👍👏👏👏👏👏
Что интересного можно рассказать о бесчисленных бездельниках,танцующих в лучших нарядах ?😎
Лучшие одежды сделаны чужим трудом, дворец построен чужим трудом. Вся эта роскошь, всё,что Вы видите, создано за счёт труда и таланта людей, не имевших необходимого для жизни.
Humans are capable of so much beauty and greatness.
And unfortunately, so much grief and destruction.
And heartache
And memes
So incredibly intricate and detailed. It’s just so heartbreakingly dusty…. Id love to see this mechanism in person one day.
I have seen it in person, and I must say this video does it justice.
That is Advanced Technology for That Time. Keep it very well preserved. Magnificent.
I do believe this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Incredible. A Miracle of Ingenuity.
Stunningly Beautiful.
A World Treasure.
Stunning - I would love to see what the artists of this kind of work would be able to do with today's technology.
I think it would not be as good. The mechanics of this exquisite work of art is what makes it so incredible and invaluable.
It went into outer space.
It would cost a billion dollars today.
I agree, we’ve lost the artistry of past eras. This is true in our architecture and other areas as well. Efficiency and profit are the highest values of society, we don’t have time for beauty.
@@Melospizia nah its easy to recreate it with current tech and find the spesific artisan as long as you have money... I mean this thing cost a fortune too at that time
While considerably less well known, isn't James Cox' Silver Swan at Barnard Castle also unaltered and in a functioning condition? I think we have two of his automatons left. Both of which are stunning.
Just seen the silver swan in the Bowes museum and it is certainly fully working after a complete refurbishment recently.
One of the most wonderful things I have ever seen!
I gotta see that's an impressive piece of Engineering for the time. I wonder if any engineer or mechanic build something like that nowadays it's extremely fascinating to watch it I hope for our sake that continues to function for a long time to come
Beautiful, stunning and a masterpiece
Une merveille.....tant par la technologie que par la beauté créative.....🌺
Kitsch of the highest level. Marvelous workmanship.
Magnifique Magique !!! Et la nature est bien là dans les mains de l'homme !!!
Volt szerencsém látni!
It was made 250 years ago and it works!!! Amazing!!!
Шедевральная красота!
So Beautiful,and Unique. God Bless!
Thank you.
Cox also made the silver swan automaton in the Bowes museum in England so this one is not the 'only' one.
He said the only one unaltered and in functioning condition. The one part of the silver swan was stolen.
Amazing Building, and Work of Art Clock ! BEAUTIFUL !
I could waste my life away watching the beauty of this work of art ❤️
Unbelievable, beautiful and a true work of art!
One of most beautiful and fascinating thing human ever created. I took picture of it when I visited there
Exquisite craftmenship !! WoWW
My eyes can't believe what they are seeing!!!
We cannot have pieces like this one in our crazy time;
We have lost true “Maestros” whom can imagine and make reality inspirational objects like “The Peacock Clock” rains ingenuity, and awe on our brains and senses.
Beauty, art, functionality, inspiration , impossible standards to find today.
Seems everyone is too busy on their iPhones and taking selfies to explore their own potential anymore!!
Unbelievable and to think it has functioned for hundreds of year now.
It's so beautiful. Almost a wonder of its own.
Wow! Amazingly Beautiful!
Beautiful!!!
That clock would go lovely in my living room. lol.
I also recommend Uri Tuchman here on RUclips. a currently living craftsman of such incredibly high quality thatI think he may go down in history, mentioned in the same breath as these folk. Extraordinary and well worth a look at his videos
A white oak. A favorite of forest 🌳 creatures for it’s delicious acorns.
truly amazing of what beuty humans are capable of creating.
A work of absolute genius. I can't wait to see it in person. Must go to st Petersburg.
Simply amazing. True work of art and mind.
I am blown away at these clocks!!! Wow!!! This is absolutely amazing!!
This is perhaps one of the most amazing and beautiful things ever built. White dudes never cease to amaze me, they build the most wonderful things.
Les artisans d'autrefois étaient des artistes formidables
notre nouvelle chaine sur le musée
Stunning! What fantastic talent and artwork! I hope it will remain so many more can enjoy it !
These things are our human nature's treasure .
I'm just intoxicated with this unimaginable video
From
Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵
how can something be so absolutely mesmerising and so absolutely irritating at the same time... Time
Why irritating??😀
@@barbaraclarke6069 its like a parallel universe... heaven and hell... pleasant to the eye and excruciating to the eardrum!
Unbelievable mechanism and artistry.
...why not call it the peaclock?
Hello Friend,
Do you know what does that mean PEA? and the different between PEA and PEACOCK?
PEA = Green bean, PEACOCK is Peacock, therefore your idea is VERY BAD, we can't call this clock is PEACLOCK, it changes the whole meaning of it..
Clever
Because that would be too punny.
Because it isn't a Peaclock is it? If so would be a beanstalk not an oak tree with birds.
Wow….. So want to see this in person!
Simply wonderful. And the Hermitage has many other wonderful things I'd like to see. Subscribed.
cheers from overcast Vienna, Scott
Wonderful artisan...St Petersburg Russia...collection.
This person was absolutely brilliant...wonder how he’d make out with modern technology!
This is my favorite clock🙂
so Nice I watch over and over absolutely stunning
AMAZING!!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!! AND WORKING!!!! THANK YOU FOE SHARING THIS!
so beautiful
Instead of making weapons of War, this craftsman excelled himself to create something to enjoy, without the help of electricity. Truly a marvel of talent and ingenuity.
Stunning. One of a kind.
this floored me! wow! it would be so awesome to this this in person
Stunning.
😲😲 Such beauty! 😄😊😊😊👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍
Eu gostei dessa exposição sobre a arte Moderna 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
So beautiful... I have no words
Csodálatosan szép !!!!
красота необычайная
The clock is amazing, but why have you added that awful music over the narrative? Just let people hear the clock!
I think your comment can potentially answer your own question. One of the purpose of this video ( I believe) is to introduce this piece, hence the narration. Were people to fully hear the clock - that is, without the music in the beginning - it would be far too easy for people to ignore the narration and information given about the history.
This is the biggest flex in history
Incredibly beautiful! ❤
So beautiful...wow
Does anyone have any idea of it's value?
Priceless tbh, I don’t see the Russian state ever selling it or anything from the museum, all the items are integrated with Russian society at this point
A masterpiece!
Absolutely incredible!
Absolutely magnificent!!!
automotons are so fascinating
Fantastic! Thanks for posting this.
👍👍👍 Потрясающий музей!
WOW! Amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Великолепно!
I have the exact time piece that fits on my wrist :)
I was there in September 2018. It is beautiful but I was not there on Wednesday :(
Splendid.
The biggest and most expensive musicbox on the planet.
Très beau à regarder
The clock didn't just appear......a clockmaker made it! A building didn't just appear for it to set in.....a builder built it!! This world didn't just appear.......a creator created it!!!!
And the ultimately complicated creater just appeared..... wow the hypocrisy
@3:06 scared the hell out of me
Mind Blown...
👀 this is wanderfull.