Longcase clock 1766

This longcase clock was crafted by Mario Gambelli, its dark wood adorned with gilded embellishments. At its core, the clock is a symbol of time's relentless march, a motif that has preoccupied humanity for millennia. Consider the ouroboros, the ancient symbol of a serpent devouring its own tail, representing the cyclical nature of time and eternity. It appears in Egyptian, Greek, and Norse mythology, and resurfaces in alchemy and Renaissance art. Similarly, the clock, with its circular face and continuous movement, echoes this theme of unending recurrence. Yet, unlike the ouroboros, the clock introduces a linear dimension to time. It divides time into measurable units, structuring human life and creating a sense of urgency. This tension between cyclical and linear time stirs deep within us, evoking both the comfort of predictable rhythms and the anxiety of time slipping away. It is a potent symbol, reflecting our collective memory and subconscious awareness of time's impact on our existence.