Lewis Walduck
Cataloguer
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Lot 128
A good 19th century Japanese weight driven hardwood pillar clock
2 July 2025, 13:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £768 inc. premium
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A good 19th century Japanese weight driven hardwood pillar clock
The case of characteristic form with (replaced) lifting hood over shaped projecting supports and plain trunk with key drawer and brass knop, the right hand dial with twelve sliding shaped brass numeral plaques, the left hand dial with twelve gilt divisions, each with ten sub-divisions, the movement with verge balance wheel escapement, the rim fitted with a mock pendulum visible from the front, supported on turned brass columns flanking the pierced and engraved central frame. 34.5cms (13.6ins) high.
Footnotes
Japanese clocks, particularly shaku-dokei (pillar clocks), were made to suit traditional homes with paper walls, which could not support heavy wall clocks. These clocks were lightweight and narrow, usually hung from a central wooden post. Before Japan adopted a standardized time system in 1873, time was measured in temporal hours, with six divisions for day and night that changed in length with the seasons. Numbers and animal symbols were used to mark the hours, and shaku-dokei had adjustable or replaceable toki plates to keep track of these changes. A 'clock doctor' would usually handle the adjustments, though later designs included numbered plates so owners could do it themselves. Since each clock was made by a single craftsman rather than mass-produced, their style and construction varied based on the maker and the client's preferences.