拍品 91
91
A George II walnut astonomical longcase clock
A George II walnut astonomical longcase clock

ALEXANDER CUMMING, LONDON; CIRCA 1780

細節
A George II walnut astonomical longcase clock
Alexander Cumming, London; circa 1780
The case of magnificent proportions with double-footed plinth having deep canted angles and with herringbone panelled inlay, the similarly inlaid trunk door with elaborate barometer in the broken arch and flanked by canted angles, similar angles to the hood with cavetto moulded arch, the dial signed Alexander Cumming, London on a recessed silvered sector within the matted centre above the larger aperture giving full calendar and equation of time, silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with blued steel hands, foliate spandrels, the arch with painted penny moonphase within a starry-painted backdrop, the hand indicating the lunar calendar with outer Roman 24-hour ring, flanking subsidiary rings for the day of week and strike/silent, the massive seven pillar two-train movement with Graham's deadbeat escapement with pendulum suspended from a brass bracket atop the plates, strike on bell suspended above the plates by a steel arm, the elaborate equation and calendar work between the dial and front plate, dial with alterations
9ft. (275 cm) high

拍品專文

Alexander Cumming, F.R.S. Bc. 1732-1814, is purported to have been born in Edinburgh. An exceptionally gifted clock maker and academic, in 1766 he published his well-known Elements of Clock and Watchwork and was made an honoury Freeman in 1781. In 1763 he was appointed one of the experts investiagting John Harrison's explanation of H4. One of his greatest clocks is the Royal barograph clock which cost 1,178 and for which he was paid a retainer of 150 to keep it maintained.