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Lot Essay
Miniature bracket clocks are extremely rare, even more so when they date from the late 17th century, but to combine the size and date - and make a split-plate movement with three trains is quite extraordinary. The pretty proportions of the case, the style of the dial with three-prong half-hour markers, exquisite hands and finely chased spandrels, combined with the slender latched and ringed pillars are all remeniscent of the work of Joseph Knibb. This similarity is not a result of plagiarism, the explanation lies with Puller's own Master, John Miller (d.1702), who himself was apprenticed first to Samuel Knibb (d.1670) and then bound over to Joseph Knibb (d.1711). The few examples extant of Miller's work have a marked 'Knibb' style and in his teachings to Pullar this style obviously continued.
The unusual escutcheons appear to be exclusive to Pullar. Another table clock by Pullar using the identical escutcheons is illustrated in Dawson, Drover & Parkes, Early English Clocks, 1982, p.454, pl.664 (Montacute House).
Johnathan Pullar was born c. 1662 and apprenticed to Nicholas Coxeter and passed over to John Miller on Coxeter's death in 1679. He was made Free of the Clockmakers' Company in September 1683 and over the next 24 years of his working life he is registered as having employed eight apprentices. He was made Assistant in 1701 and attended Court until 1707 when he is presumed to have died.
The unusual escutcheons appear to be exclusive to Pullar. Another table clock by Pullar using the identical escutcheons is illustrated in Dawson, Drover & Parkes, Early English Clocks, 1982, p.454, pl.664 (Montacute House).
Johnathan Pullar was born c. 1662 and apprenticed to Nicholas Coxeter and passed over to John Miller on Coxeter's death in 1679. He was made Free of the Clockmakers' Company in September 1683 and over the next 24 years of his working life he is registered as having employed eight apprentices. He was made Assistant in 1701 and attended Court until 1707 when he is presumed to have died.