For almost 300 years, pocket watches were important accessories for the nobility and middle-classes. In order to store the watches securely and stylishly, artfully designed stands that matched the wearers interior were developed and were an impressive reflection of the history of European art and culture from the Baroque to the early 20th-century. The stands ranged from miniature versions of grandfather and mantle clocks to one-off works of art made from wood, ceramic or metal. Until now, research on pocket-watch stands has attracted little attention. This publication offers an overview of some 450 objects from a unique private collection in southern Germany, documenting its wealth of designs, which encompass a large repertoire of Christian, mythological and political themes. Scholarly texts on the history of the objects, their designs, and restoration issues make this an indispensable standard work.
