James Stratton
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Lot 20W
A fine and rare late 18th century grande sonnerie striking and musical mantel clock J Robert et fils et Cie
12 December 2012, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £31,250 inc. premium
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A fine and rare late 18th century grande sonnerie striking and musical mantel clock
J Robert et fils et Cie
the clock surmounted by a twin handled urn over a drum case supported within a break-front entablature on black columns to a matching base, mounted all over with ormolu mounts of beading, foliate scrolls and bosses, the beaded bezel set over a reverse-painted glass coat of arms, the 5.5 inch enamel dial with Arabic hours and quarters with matching hands and concentric date with blued steel hand, the spring driven movement with silk suspension, the backplate set with polished steel racks to operate the striking of the hours and quarters on a pair of bells and three hammers, further set with a weighted vertical bar running behind a pillar and settling on a trip button to activate the musical base.
The musical base formed as an alabaster casket with boulle inlaid geometric top enclosed by a running balustrade with a plinth and finial to each corner, over four hinged doors with pierced sound frets between reeded and stop fluted pilasters on block feet, the substantial four-pillar movement numbered 5785 and with twin chain fusee drive to the 12 inch pinned wooden barrel with seventeen-key action and double parallel-fin governor, playing on a single cascaded rank of lead pipes with wood baffle, marble paper bellows and soundboard held within a brass cage frame with access to twin wind spindles and eight-air change for the wooden barrel Total height 89cms (35ins). The musical casket measuring 35.5cms x 52.5cms (14ins x 20.75ins).
the clock surmounted by a twin handled urn over a drum case supported within a break-front entablature on black columns to a matching base, mounted all over with ormolu mounts of beading, foliate scrolls and bosses, the beaded bezel set over a reverse-painted glass coat of arms, the 5.5 inch enamel dial with Arabic hours and quarters with matching hands and concentric date with blued steel hand, the spring driven movement with silk suspension, the backplate set with polished steel racks to operate the striking of the hours and quarters on a pair of bells and three hammers, further set with a weighted vertical bar running behind a pillar and settling on a trip button to activate the musical base.
The musical base formed as an alabaster casket with boulle inlaid geometric top enclosed by a running balustrade with a plinth and finial to each corner, over four hinged doors with pierced sound frets between reeded and stop fluted pilasters on block feet, the substantial four-pillar movement numbered 5785 and with twin chain fusee drive to the 12 inch pinned wooden barrel with seventeen-key action and double parallel-fin governor, playing on a single cascaded rank of lead pipes with wood baffle, marble paper bellows and soundboard held within a brass cage frame with access to twin wind spindles and eight-air change for the wooden barrel Total height 89cms (35ins). The musical casket measuring 35.5cms x 52.5cms (14ins x 20.75ins).
Footnotes
Comparative literature:
Ord-Hume, The Musical Clock, Mayfield 1995, plate 1/5.