This fascinating clock gives another insight into some of Tompion's earlier work. An interesting feature is the backplate which still maintains the Dutch-influenced tulip engraving, a type that is taken over by the Arabesque influence a year or two later, (see lot 265). Its number 35 is quite plainly punched on the front door cill and the same number is repeated in an unusually diminutive form at the top left corner of the backplate; very often on early examples the number appears only on either the case cill or the backplate. The unusual strike/silent lever in the backplate appears to occur on on another clock illustrated in R. W. Symonds, Thomas Tompion, p. 196, 288, pl. 181, numbered 96, the lever was not discussed in the notes but almost certainly had the same purpose