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Object Overview
This library barometer with griffins, dating from the third quarter of the 19th century, was crafted by the renowned clockmaker Antoine Redier. Made from intricately carved oak, it is rich in symbolic details. The 20-centimeter circular barometer shines like the sun, captivating the observer with its concentric rings radiating from the bezel to the heart of the instrument — the aneroid capsule.
Protected by a flat glass set in a brass bezel, the barometer’s dial is crafted from thick cardboard and features a tiered design bordered with brass inlays. The outermost section displays textual weather indications in uppercase French letters. At the bottom of the dial, the inscription "Baromètre Anéroïde" is accompanied by Redier’s recognizable logo: a puzzle of letters forming “ARED.” The inner section houses the barometric scale in centimeters of mercury, ranging from 69 to 80 centimeters.
At the lower part of the barometer is a mercury thermometer with Fahrenheit and Réaumur scales. The glass tube, featuring a rounded reservoir, is set against a brass backing engraved with the scales. The barometer operates on a conventional continental cantilever movement with a rack and pinion mechanism. Redier’s meticulous attention to detail in his mechanisms captivates the eye with their elegance and precision.
n/a
Redier
brass, cardboard, carved wood, nickel silver, steel
The barometer is imbued with profound philosophical and artistic meaning, revealed through its abundant carved elements. At the top is a vase encircled by a wreath with a rose, symbolizing the celestial sphere — a visual metaphor for the atmosphere connecting the cosmos and the Earth. The vase represents the radiance of a star, its wreath as a halo emphasizing this brilliance. This light might carry a divine nature, with the vase symbolizing the vessel of life and immortality, celestial judgment, and eternal harmony. Crowned by a rose-shaped rosette, this composition exudes symbolic depth. The rose, a key motif, unites celestial perfection and earthly passion, life and death, fertility and purity. It symbolizes eternity, embracing all existence and emphasizing the spiritual and philosophical depth of the instrument.
Beneath the vase is a triangular pediment, marking the boundary between the cosmos and Earth’s atmosphere — the beginning of the celestial vault in the physical world. Below this symbolic boundary lies the barometer, measuring the weight of the atmosphere and indicating air pressure in constant flux. In the context of the barometer, this symbolism is profound, as the instrument measures pressure linked to atmospheric processes (the sky) and their impact on the Earth (the ground). The barometer itself operates at the junction of these two realms, recording atmospheric changes that influence the terrestrial sphere. Guardians of this transition are the griffins—mythical creatures with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle.
Flanking the dial, the griffins symbolize dominion over the dual realms of existence — sky and earth, harmony between opposites: light and dark, good and evil. Their role here is particularly significant, as the barometer measures atmospheric pressure at the boundary of two worlds. It records changes in the atmosphere (the sky) and renders them useful for the earthly realm. The griffins serve as protectors of this transition, embodying the barometer’s mastery over natural forces and its unification of the celestial and terrestrial in a single dimension.
A festoon located beneath the barometer serves as the boundary between two realms: above — the sky with the barometer and griffins, below — the Earth with the thermometer, flowers, and leaves. The festoon is carved to resemble a fabric with folds, drapery, or a mantle — symbolizing science and knowledge. It represents the mastery of scholars who created such a complex instrument as the barometer and tamed the forces of nature. The thermometer below further emphasizes this scientific influence — its invention marked the beginning of productive scientific inquiry into the world. The thermometer became an emblem of the age of great discoveries and inventions, dating back to Galileo, the great scientist. Oak leaves extending downward on either side of the thermometer sprout as if from seeds — the first seeds of knowledge. These oak branches, along with the barometer’s leaf-shaped base, complete the symbols of the Earth at the lowest point of the celestial sphere.
The placement of the broader section (the barometer with griffins) at the top underscores the importance of the “celestial” sphere. This compositional inversion draws attention to the interaction between heavenly processes and earthly phenomena. The barometer predicts changes, while the thermometer records them. The artisan intentionally placed the more massive and significant barometer above to highlight its dominant role. This contradicts the intuitive perception of composition but invites deeper contemplation. The inverted logic suggests that the celestial always influences the terrestrial, not the other way around. The play with conventional forms (a wide top and a narrow base) emphasizes the artisan’s unconventional perspective: what seems familiar can be reimagined when viewed through the lens of science and art.