[MR] Ancient Origins: Prague's Astronomical Clock

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Today Ancient Origins is offering a story about Prague's famous
Astronomical Clock. This masterpiece of late medieval technology was built
in 1410, although some features were added after that date. The clock not
only tells the time, it also tracks the stars. An automaton representing
death rings a bell on the hour, figures representing several sins wag their
heads, and other automatorn representing the 12 Apostles wander up to a
window to present themselves.

The story also includes a brief YouTube view of the clock in action. No,
the trumpeter at the top of the clock tower is not an automaton, but a real
musician in medieval costume.

And speaking of costumes, the other figures shown around the clock are
worthy of study as examples of central European late medieval fashion.

Here's the link to the Ancient Origins story:
https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-technology/where-death-rings-hour-amazing-medieval-astronomical-clock-prague-021229
.

For those wanting more, Wikipedia offers a very nice page (slightly less
breathy in its enthusiasm!), which includes some close-ups of the naughty
figures and their garb:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_astronomical_clock .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆