The mechanical galleon (1580/1580)British Museum
What is this strange but beautiful object?
It appears to be a brass ship, an ornament and little more. But look closely and you might just find that this beautiful piece has a few secrets.
At the base of the mast is a small clock, showing hours and minutes on a silver dial with colored enamel motifs. Up in the crows’ nest of the main mast there are some small bells which chime when the clock strikes the hour. So, mystery solved. This golden galleon is a table or mantelpiece ornament as well as a clock. Well, not quite… There is still more to this story.
On the rear deck there are two painted wooden figures with swords and on the bowsprit a wheel lock cannon. Ten more canons are arranged around the hull and on the starboard side sits a large barrel. In front of a small figure, believed to be Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor, there are seven electors. And believe it or not, all of these are part of an intricate clockwork device that moves, rotates, plays music, fires canons and even produces smoke.
How does it work?
The galleon is powered by three separate clockwork mechanisms. These power the firing canons, rotating electors and blowing trumpets. Out of sight behind the hull there is a music box that plays a tune and a small drum that is struck.
Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland (1715) by Nicolas de LargillièreThe Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The galleon is what is known as an automaton. It is thought to have been made in around 1585 by Hans Schlottheim in southern Germany. The piece has been owned by several notable people over the years, including Rudolf II and Augustus, Elector of Saxony, both of whom appear in the piece itself.
It's made mostly of gilded brass, with mechanical parts fabricated using the recently discovered cold tempered steel – a material that made these kinds of automata possible. Sadly, the Mechanical Galleon no longer functions, and the drum skin is no longer present. But for something so delicate that is almost 450 years old, it is still in remarkable condition.
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Can you find the 'Mechanical Galleon'?
The galleon was donated to the British Museum in 1866 by Octavius Morgan. It was also chosen to feature in the History of the World in 100 Objects, a partnership between the BBC and British Museum that used unique objects to tell the story of humanity. Why not see if you can find it in the museum?
Tippoo's Tiger (ca. 1793 (made) - 1797) by UnknownThe Victoria and Albert Museum
Interested by automata?
If you would like to know more about the history of automata you can discover more wind up objects here.
