дворец Зимний (1799 )
Although unsigned, the Peacock clock is traditionnally believed to be the work of the most celebrated manufacturer of curiosities of this sort James Cox. Recent research of Cox's work confirms this attribution. The complicated mechanism of the clock with automata is of English manufacture. The movement of the clock itself is hidden inside the big mushroom in the centre of the setting. In the opening of the mushroom cup two rotating horizontal clock dials are visible and on these can be seen the Roman figures for the hours, and the Arabic figures for the minutes. A dragon-fly on top of the mushroom rotates with a one second interval thus playing the part of the seconds hand. The carillon (a train of bells) chimes at the hours and the quarters. Three additional coiled spring movements are connected with the clock mechanism, and when they are set in motion all the automata - the owl, the peacock and the cock - begin to move. The cage surrounded with liltle bells and containing the owl begins to rotate, the owl moves its head twitching its eyes as it opens and shuts them and raises its paw, and the little bells play a soft tune. Then the peacock steps in. It raises its head regally, opens its tail and slowly turns around, stands still tor a moment, then quickly turns back and folds its tail. At last, the cock crows three or four times. Having recently undergone a careful restoration, the piece is now in good order. The clock mechanism is working regularly while those of the automata are wound only once or twice a month for better preservation.
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