James Stratton
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Lot 57Y
A late 17th century Dutch striking Haagse clock with later case and dial Attributed to Van Ceulen the Elder
16 December 2015, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £4,750 inc. premium
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Clocks (UK)
A late 17th century Dutch striking Haagse clock with later case and dial
Attributed to Van Ceulen the Elder
The tortoiseshell veneered and ebonised rectangular case surmounted by the broken pediment centred on an urn, raised on Doric pilasters, over the shallow plinth base and turned feet, the interior with rosewood veneered interior decorated with a lignum vitae star.
The black velvet covered skeletonised dial with gilt Roman and Arabic chapter ring beneath cherub spandrels and over a calligraphy signature for Peter Visbagh, Hague, the centre of the dial fitted with four probably original subsidiary dials for date (top), half hour strike indication and month (left), hour strike indication, age of moon, twice twelve hour dial and moonphase (right) and day (bottom), the time read via pierced gilt hands.
The substantial two train spring barrel movement with silk suspension verge escapement, finned waisted pillars, floral pierced and engraved barrels, cut steel gates and elaborately pierced footed backcock and springs to the two outside countwheels striking on two bells, the hour bell mounted behind the pediment, the half hour below the movement on the dial plate. 56cm (22in)
The tortoiseshell veneered and ebonised rectangular case surmounted by the broken pediment centred on an urn, raised on Doric pilasters, over the shallow plinth base and turned feet, the interior with rosewood veneered interior decorated with a lignum vitae star.
The black velvet covered skeletonised dial with gilt Roman and Arabic chapter ring beneath cherub spandrels and over a calligraphy signature for Peter Visbagh, Hague, the centre of the dial fitted with four probably original subsidiary dials for date (top), half hour strike indication and month (left), hour strike indication, age of moon, twice twelve hour dial and moonphase (right) and day (bottom), the time read via pierced gilt hands.
The substantial two train spring barrel movement with silk suspension verge escapement, finned waisted pillars, floral pierced and engraved barrels, cut steel gates and elaborately pierced footed backcock and springs to the two outside countwheels striking on two bells, the hour bell mounted behind the pediment, the half hour below the movement on the dial plate. 56cm (22in)
Footnotes
Literature:
H.M. Vehmeyer, Clocks, Their Origin and Development 1320-1880, Snoeck 2004. Item LC47.
Vehmeyer writes:
"The author found and acquired this clock at an auction in Zurich. The movement and dial with all its indications were original and in good condition, but the whole was contained in a Neuchateloise case without a signature. When the clock was restored in 1969, it was wrongly given the name of Pieter Visbach. The clock cannot but be attributed to Johannes van Ceulen: he is the only maker whose clocks are known to have a similar complex movement and a comparable dial with calendar and other indications. I refer to the Hague clock in the Nederlands Goud-, Zilver- en Klokken-museum in Schoonhoven (the Netherlands) and to the clock in the Hessisches Landesmuseum, Kassel (Germany), both made by Van Ceulen. The latter clock is fully described and shown in R. Plomp's Spring-driven Dutch Pendulum Clocks 1657-1710, Scheidam, 1979, pp.63 (colour plate), 92 and 93."