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Object Overview
This Ornately Carved Wooden Case Barometer, dating to around 1880 and marked with the well-known Tremeschini trademark, represents a rich example of decorative folk carving, where flowers and leaves form the central motifs. Flowers create visual accents at key points (top, sides, and bottom), while leaves and scrolls unite the design into a cohesive ornamental composition.
The vertically elongated walnut case is executed in a traditional decorative style, with vegetal ornament and a characteristic symmetrical arrangement. The crest is formed as a large carved flower with five petals. To the left and right of the thermometer are symmetrically arranged carved leaves resembling acanthus, with gently curved contours and detailed veins, giving the case fullness and richness. The barometer is set within a circular frame, flanked on each side by carved flowers. At the very bottom, a carved acanthus leaf serves as the visual conclusion of the composition.
Overall, the ornament reflects the spirit of folk romanticism, emphasizing flowers and acanthus leaves, lending the piece both decorative appeal and symbolic reference to fertility and the cycles of nature.
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Tremeschini
brass, cardboard, carved wood, enamel, glass, nickel silver, steel
The barometer, mounted within the wooden case, is housed in a brass body with a thin bezel holding a flat mineral glass and fitted with a brass pointer for recording the trend, adjusted by a knurled brass knob. The open dial is made of thick card and enclosed within a reflective silvered-brass ring; the inner ring is plain brass.
A large concentric scale is graduated in centimeters of mercury from 72 to 79. Around the outer edge of the scale are inscriptions of standard Dutch weather indications, written in uppercase letters in varying typefaces.
The mechanism is based on one of the four movements invented by engineer Tremeschini, which are rarely encountered in aneroid barometers. This example employs one of the simplest Tremeschini designs: a long brass lever with a counterweight and a conventional linkage chain driving the pointer shaft. The aneroid capsule appears to contain a spiral spring, counteracting the natural collapse of the sensitive chamber walls.
An additional feature is a spirit thermometer with violet indicating fluid, mounted on an enameled plate at the upper section of the case, with a centigrade scale extending to one hundred degrees.
In conclusion, this barometer embodies both technical ingenuity and decorative artistry, combining Tremeschini’s rare movement with the elaborate carving, making it a remarkable example of late 19th-century European craftsmanship.