Bonhams 1793 : A fine and rare late 18th century glass-mounted six-tune musical table clock made for the Export market George Prior, London

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12 Dec 2012 14:00 GMT London, New Bond Street
Fine Clocks
Back to auction 19809

A fine and rare late 18th century glass-mounted six-tune musical table clock made for the Export market

George Prior, London
Surmounted by a cut glass cupola supported on six facetted glass columns over a concave moulded plinth set with gilt repousse mounts of open scrollwork, each corner out-set and carrying an urn finial on blocks supported by facetted columns to double-scrolled supports, the sides set with pierced scroll mounts, the case decorated all over with floral sprigs, urns and panels of geometric patterns, all on a yellow ground, the front door of shaped outline revealing the shaped mask decorated with multi coloured sprigs of flowers on a blue mask with 6.5 inch signed silvered engraved Turkish dial with matching hands and subsidiaries above for Chime/Not Chime and numbered tune selection including Song;Minuet;March;Air;Dance and Hornpipe, the substantial triple wire fusee movement with verge escapement striking the hours on a large bell and playing the tunes on a run of twelve hammers and bells, the signed backplate engraved with patterns of scrolls and a central basket of flowers 72cms (2ft 4.25ins) high.

Sold for £49,250 inc. premium

Footnotes

The frontplate of this movement is stamped for Thwaites and Reed, number 575. According to Rose, 'English dial clocks', ACC 1978, movement number 575 was supplied by Thwaites in 1772.

The use of glass as a decorative media in clock case making is generally limited to those clocks intended for export, usually during the latter half of the 18th century. Comparable examples are illustrated in White, English Clocks for the Eastern Market, AHS 2012, figs 9.1a, 9.2a, 9.2b, 9.7, 9.8a; Barder, The Georgian Bracket Clock, ACC 1993 colour plates 22 and 24 and plates V/11 and V/12 and Ord-Hume, The Musical Clock, Mayfield 1995, frontispiece and plate IV/24.

Perhaps the most famous glass-mounted clock is the twelve-tune example by George Clarke of Leadenhall Street still in use today at the Goldsmith's Hall.

Category: Clocks and Watches / Clocks

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