Automaton in the Shape of a Galley ⛵️⛵️⛵️

Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (Austria) This remarkable automaton, shaped like a war galley, is both a technical marvel and a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Hidden within its intricately carved hull lies a mechanical engine that once powered the ship to roll across banquet tables while chained convicts rhythmically rowed—bringing the scene to life with mesmerizing precision. Every detail of the galley and its crew was painstakingly crafted using ivory, brass, iron, linen, and silk. The automaton is the collaborative work of two master ivory turners and a skilled clockmaker from Stuttgart: Georg Burrer, Georg Ernst, and Christoph Schorkfel. Their names, preserved on a contemporary parchment note hidden within the ship, bear witness to the legacy of early 17th-century mechanical ingenuity and decorative art. 📏 Dimensions: 51.5 cm × 84 cm × 33.5 cm 🛠 Materials: Ivory, brass, linen, silk, iron 📅 Created: Circa early 1600s, Stuttgart