Barometers Realm

We are presented with a rare and exceptionally expressive Griffin Stand Table Barometer by the renowned firm Naudet, dating to approximately 1885, produced in collaboration with the German manufactory Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik. The instrument embodies a refined synthesis of precision instrument-making and high-level artistic casting characteristic of the finest European workshops of the Historicist period.

Case and Artistic Decoration

The barometer’s case is made of nickel silver (Argentan / Alpacca)—a copper–nickel alloy widely used in the late nineteenth century for both artistic and technical objects due to its strength, dimensional stability, and noble silvery tone. The surface is finished with sulphide blackening, followed by selective polishing of raised elements, creating a striking contrast between deep, dark recesses and bright, animated highlights on the relief. This technique explains the visual effect whereby certain details—such as the heads of the fantastical creatures—appear almost metallic silver, while the recessed areas remain richly blackened.

On the rear of the case is a WMF hallmark set within a cartouche, belonging to the earliest group of the company’s marks (circa 1880–1886). This stamp unequivocally identifies the case as the product of Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG (WMF)—one of the oldest and most authoritative German manufacturers of artistic and utilitarian metalwork. The company was founded in 1853 under the name Metallwarenfabrik Straub & Schweizer in Geislingen an der Steige by Daniel Straub. In the following decades, the enterprise expanded, merged with other workshops, and by the end of the nineteenth century became widely known as Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik. WMF specialised in objects made of nickel silver, brass, and silver-plated alloys, exporting its products throughout Europe and beyond. The use of a WMF case for a high-grade meteorological instrument fully accords with contemporary practice, whereby leading instrument makers commissioned decorative housings from specialised metalworking manufactories.

Structural Architecture

The decorative “frame” supporting the instrument is conceived as a complex architectural composition. Its upper section is adorned with lotus-leaf motifs and stylised floral elements, flowing seamlessly into curved volutes. These forms evoke organic growth and accentuate the vertical axis of the instrument.

Below, the composition develops into a pronounced support terminating in four symmetrically arranged feet. These are formed as four griffins, positioned with their backs toward a central element—a decorative vase situated at the base of the stand. The griffins are not rendered naturalistically but in a stylised manner: their heads and bodies merge with Rocaille scrollwork, lending the composition dynamism and sculptural unity. This approach is characteristic of late Historicism with Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Rococo influences.

Dial and Scale

Set within the decorative frame is the barometer’s functional body—a drum-shaped cylindrical case made of silver-plated brass. This element is structurally integrated with the ornamental stand and serves as the housing for the measuring mechanism. Of particular note is the distinctive bezel, which does not clasp the case externally, as is customary in most aneroid barometers, but is instead inserted directly into the body, forming a single, recessed, and precisely defined line. The bezel retains a mineral glass, into which is fitted a brass trend pointer with a knurled adjustment knob for manual setting. A brass reflective ring is also installed within, enhancing the legibility of the scale.

The open dial is made of heavy card and carries two barometric scales: the outer scale is calibrated in millimetres of mercury, while the inner scale is in Rhenish inches of mercury. The dial is richly furnished with detailed German weather inscriptions, reflecting the traditional interpretation of barometric readings typical of the late nineteenth century. The combination of metric and regional units is characteristic of continental European instruments of this period.

Movement

The barometer is fitted with a rare and technically distinctive movement by Naudet. At its core is a nickel-silver aneroid capsule employing an unusual internal spring, together with a bridge of unconventional form that supports the pointer arbor. Motion is transmitted to the pointer shaft via a fusee chain.

In 1884, the firm Naudet applied for a patent for a new type of internal spring; the patent was granted in 1888. The concept was as simple as it was ingenious: instead of the traditional round steel wire, Naudet employed wire with a flat cross-section. This allowed a greater number of coils to be stacked without increasing the height of the assembly, and in some cases even permitted a reduction in overall thickness.

The movement employs a two-stage transmission system. The point of motion pick-up is located on the left side of the support of the first lever, directly beneath the pointer bridge. Variations in the height of the aneroid capsule are transmitted through a system of levers: at the end of a long lever, the movement is received by a downward-curved elbow and transferred to a brass pin emerging from the deflection axis. From there, a longer, upward-curved lever conveys the motion further. The remaining components of the mechanism are conventional and include the aforementioned fusee chain, a spiral spring around the pointer arbor, and an adjustment screw, accessible from the rear, for correcting readings according to altitude above sea level.

The brass bridge of the movement displays a distinctive and immediately recognisable form, with three symmetrically radiating arms extending from the central pointer axis, creating a stable and visually balanced structure. This configuration not only ensures precise centring and secure support of the pointer shaft, but also underscores the thoughtful engineering of the mechanism—particularly striking when viewed through the open dial. The surface of the bridge bears the inscription “Breveté S.G.D.G. Paris”, indicating a French patent (Breveté Sans Garantie du Gouvernement—“patented without government guarantee”). This marking, mandatory for patented products in France during the second half of the nineteenth century, confirms the originality of the design and directly links the movement to the Parisian patent system and the engineering tradition of PHBN-Naudet.

Conclusion

This barometer represents an outstanding example of the synthesis of artistic metalwork and precision meteorological engineering at the end of the nineteenth century. The nickel-silver case produced by WMF, with its virtuoso patination, and the rare Naudet movement form a unified ensemble in which decoration does not overwhelm function, but rather enhances it. The instrument vividly demonstrates the technological and artistic culture of an era in which a measuring device was simultaneously a scientific instrument and an object of high applied art.