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Lot Essay
COMPARARIVE LITERATURE
Sir George White Bt., English Lantern Clocks, Woodbridge, 1989, p. 292, figs.VII 5 & 6
R.W. Symonds, Thomas Tompion, his life and work, Batsford, 1951, pp. 105 & 6, fig 98
Tompion appears to have made very few lantern clocks, not surprisingly perhaps as their margin of profit must have been very small compared to the profit on one of his bracket clocks. Nevertheless, Tompion had clients who required clocks for every purpose and it is thought that these small alarm timepieces were designed for travelling and would have been originally supplied with a fitted wainscot oak case for this purpose. The traveller having stopped for the night at an inn the clock would have simply been hung on a nail on a beam in the bedroom and the alarm set to give him enough time for his ham and eggs before the impending departure of his coach.
Despite some of its later replacements this clock is a rare undiscovered example from arguably the greatest clockmaker in England.
Sir George White Bt., English Lantern Clocks, Woodbridge, 1989, p. 292, figs.VII 5 & 6
R.W. Symonds, Thomas Tompion, his life and work, Batsford, 1951, pp. 105 & 6, fig 98
Tompion appears to have made very few lantern clocks, not surprisingly perhaps as their margin of profit must have been very small compared to the profit on one of his bracket clocks. Nevertheless, Tompion had clients who required clocks for every purpose and it is thought that these small alarm timepieces were designed for travelling and would have been originally supplied with a fitted wainscot oak case for this purpose. The traveller having stopped for the night at an inn the clock would have simply been hung on a nail on a beam in the bedroom and the alarm set to give him enough time for his ham and eggs before the impending departure of his coach.
Despite some of its later replacements this clock is a rare undiscovered example from arguably the greatest clockmaker in England.