Important Aneroid Barometer with Hand Carved Case. Holland, 1900

This amazing article is an aneroid barometer made in the Netherlands and more than one hundred years old. The barometer was manufactured around 1900 and is wonderfully preserved. It works perfectly and is a practical and decorative piece. It stands out because of its great size and beautiful hand-carved wooden box. The box is made of solid hardwood and bears a nice walnut-colored finish that creates lovely shadows and volumes on the carving work. It is ansculptural box that depicts two symmetrical fantastic fish or marine monsters that flank the barometer itself. The piece is crowned by a great cup full of fruits and leaves. Aneroid barometers are renowned for their precision and efficiency. Their mechanism uses a small, flexible metal box called an aneroid cell which is made from an alloy of beryllium and copper. The cell gives its name to the barometer itself. Small changes in external air pressure cause the cell to expand or contract these movements drive mechanical levers such that the tiny movements of the capsule are amplified and displayed on the face of the aneroid barometer. This ingenious device was invented by the scientific Lucien Vidie in 1843. The box that supports and embellishes the mechanism boasts an impressive hand-carved work with deeply embossed realistic details. The marine beasts that flank the barometers face are great, with their wavy scale-covered bodies and flexible fins. They are very expressive and create a charming effect. The same can be said about the crowning cup. The barometer is made of golden brass with white background and black inscriptions and numbers. The words that indicate the weather are written in Dutch and remain clearly visible. Under the barometer there is also a rectangular thermometer horizontally disposed, in working order too. This striking barometer is an exclusive piece, perfect to decorate and that still lets us know the weather and the air pressure. Measurements: Width: 13.3 in / 34 cm. Height: 14.9 in / 38 cm.