Japanese Single Foliot Kak Dokei or Lantern Clock. Time and strike. JJ-48.

A winged nut secures a deep bell on an iron stand above a single foliot. The top and bottom of the case are iron. The sides are brass. The pillars are rectangular. The wheels or gearing is iron, and the foliot is attached to a verge escapement. A single hand is mounted inside a painted 24-hour dial. The movement is weight driven. It also features a strike train that will strike each hour. 

The clock measures approximately 10 inches tall to the top of the bell and is just under 4 inches square at the base. 

These clocks were produced from the XVIIth century until the beginning of the Meiji era. Therefore, this example was most likely made circa 1860.

To date, it is thought that mechanical clocks were unknown in Japan before the sixteenth century. European traders and other tradable Western commodities introduced them to this country. The Japanese then modified the designs to reflect their timekeeping system accurately. This system is very confusing by Western standards. 

Japanese mechanical clocks fall into two categories. First, there is the Lantern variety which is also called the pyramid form. The term pyramid is reflected in the base that supports the clock. The mechanism in this style closely resembles the design of the English lantern clocks or the European chamber clocks of a similar period. The Stick form is also called the pillar clock. They are designed to hang on the wall. They do not have circular dials but incorporate a pointer that runs the case length. This form is somewhat later. 

This clock is inventory number JJ-48.