James Stratton
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Lot 148
A finely crafted modern ebonised table clock with pull quarter repeat in the 17th century manner John Marshall, at Halfpenny, Kendal
Amended
16 December 2015, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£7,000 - £10,000
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Clocks (UK)
A finely crafted modern ebonised table clock with pull quarter repeat in the 17th century manner
John Marshall, at Halfpenny, Kendal
The design greatly influenced by the work of Thomas Tompion, the case surmounted by a tied bud handle over the caddy and complex entablature mouldings, the glazed front door with gilt brass sound fret to the upper rail and foliate escutcheons to the uprights, raised on a moulded plinth base with four turned gilt brass feet, the signed 6.5 inch brass dial with a silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with cruciform half hour markers, set within four subsidiary quadrants, for regulation (top left), strike/not strike (top right) and pendulum hold fast to the lower corners, the remainder of the dial profusely engraved with flowers and foliage within a stylised foliate border, elements of which were taken from the design of the Tulip Tompion, the twin fusee movement with verge escapement, rack and pinion rise and fall regulation and Tompion's double lever pull repeat mechanism striking on two bells, the shaped frontplate united to the backplate by seven knopped and finned latched pillars, the signed backplate engraved with foliate scrolls, birds and entwined snakes centred on the oval signature cartouche, the regulation and repeat work mounted on engraved 'tear drop' cocks. 39cm (15.25in) 38cm (15in)
The design greatly influenced by the work of Thomas Tompion, the case surmounted by a tied bud handle over the caddy and complex entablature mouldings, the glazed front door with gilt brass sound fret to the upper rail and foliate escutcheons to the uprights, raised on a moulded plinth base with four turned gilt brass feet, the signed 6.5 inch brass dial with a silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with cruciform half hour markers, set within four subsidiary quadrants, for regulation (top left), strike/not strike (top right) and pendulum hold fast to the lower corners, the remainder of the dial profusely engraved with flowers and foliage within a stylised foliate border, elements of which were taken from the design of the Tulip Tompion, the twin fusee movement with verge escapement, rack and pinion rise and fall regulation and Tompion's double lever pull repeat mechanism striking on two bells, the shaped frontplate united to the backplate by seven knopped and finned latched pillars, the signed backplate engraved with foliate scrolls, birds and entwined snakes centred on the oval signature cartouche, the regulation and repeat work mounted on engraved 'tear drop' cocks. 39cm (15.25in) 38cm (15in)
Footnotes
The main springs are the only part of this clock not made entirely by John Marshall. Everything else is made from 'the ground up'. To obtain the exact form of moulding for the cornice, for instance, John, like the best clockmakers of the past, would make a cutting tool to give him the exact form that he wanted. The case mounts are cast using the lost wax method, so John painstakingly carved originals in pear or boxwood from which to take moulds.
John was born in Hailsham, Sussex in 1935 and learnt cabinetmaking and furniture design at Rycotewood College in Thame. His love of clockmaking began in 1960 when, in his spare time, he restored a three train musical clock movement. His particular passion has always been the early makers such as Thomas Tompion, Henry Jones and Edward East, when each movement would reveal more of the craftsman behind it.
John won a silver medal from the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in 1994 for a similar clock in walnut and after that win, made two others, of which this is the last one. The original walnut example was sold in these rooms 10th December 2014 for a hammer price of £12,000; the ebonised example sold in July 2015 for a hammer price of £6,000. John has no plans to make another.
Saleroom notices
Please note that the case for this clock is ebony, not ebonised