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Prague’s famous astronomical clock, which assumed its current form in 1490. (Compare the human-sized door on the left for scale.) The four figures at the top represent Vanity, Greed (originally a Jewish money-lender), Death, and Pagan invasion (represented by a Turk). The four figures at the bottom are the Chronicler, Angel, Astronomer, and Philosopher.
On the hour, Death nods his head, rings a bell, and inverts his hour glass. The doors, partially visible at the top, open to reveal a parade of Apostles.
The clock indicates (to one schooled in the art of reading it) the times of sunrise and sunset, the known world at the time (with Prague in the center), the 24-hour time (adjusted for daylight-savings time), traditional 24-hour Bohemian time (counted from sunset), the phase of the moon, the houses of the zodiac where the sun and moon can be found, and stellar time.
The calendar wheel beneath the clock depicts 12 seasonal scenes celebrating rural Bohemian life. Most dates are marked with the name of the relevant saint.