A GEORGE III MAHOGANY AND PARCEL-GILT MONTH-GOING LONGCASE REGULATOR by John Grant, the 12in. diam. silvered engraved regulator dial with outer minute ring, observatory seconds beneath 60 overlaid with an engine-turned gilt seconds disc, hour ring above 30 similarly overlaid with an engine-turned disc, the spandrels applied with a foliate pierced and engraved mask, the counter-poised hands of blued steel, the massive six pillar movement with gilt-metal dust-covers screwed at the sides and with unusual blued steel swivel latches at the top, the fine high-count train having all wheels with six crossings, the 'scape wheel and and anchor with jewelled pivots the rest with plain end-caps, Harrison maintaing power with finely executed collet, unusual stop-work with fine adjustment, jewelled deadbeat escapement with adjustable pallets, the crutch-piece with beat adjustment and Holmes-type pivoted forks, mercury jar pendulum with calibrated rating disc and blued beat pointer, indirect wind with original brass-cased oval weight and pulley with six crossings, the breakfront case of pedestal form applied with carved giltwood decoration to the plinth with twisted ribbon and acanthus, the inset panel in the front with foliate banding, similar banding to the glazed pendulum door with baize inner lining and locking device for the hood, the side panels carved with a laurel-entwined palm stem supporting a husk-festooned vase with ram-head handles from which a further laurel-entwined palm stem enclosing medallions hung from bowed ribbons, the frieze above applied with entrelac flowerheads with similar decoration to the shaped panel beneath the hood flanked by two putti supports, the top surmounted by a husk-festooned urn with flame-finial having a gadrooned bowl centered by a medallion of Juno; the backboard later, some giltwood carving and the giltmetal dial-mounts replaced at a later date (see below)7ft. (214cm. high

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY

A GEORGE III MAHOGANY AND PARCEL-GILT MONTH-GOING LONGCASE REGULATOR by John Grant, the 12in. diam. silvered engraved regulator dial with outer minute ring, observatory seconds beneath 60 overlaid with an engine-turned gilt seconds disc, hour ring above 30 similarly overlaid with an engine-turned disc, the spandrels applied with a foliate pierced and engraved mask, the counter-poised hands of blued steel, the massive six pillar movement with gilt-metal dust-covers screwed at the sides and with unusual blued steel swivel latches at the top, the fine high-count train having all wheels with six crossings, the 'scape wheel and and anchor with jewelled pivots the rest with plain end-caps, Harrison maintaing power with finely executed collet, unusual stop-work with fine adjustment, jewelled deadbeat escapement with adjustable pallets, the crutch-piece with beat adjustment and Holmes-type pivoted forks, mercury jar pendulum with calibrated rating disc and blued beat pointer, indirect wind with original brass-cased oval weight and pulley with six crossings, the breakfront case of pedestal form applied with carved giltwood decoration to the plinth with twisted ribbon and acanthus, the inset panel in the front with foliate banding, similar banding to the glazed pendulum door with baize inner lining and locking device for the hood, the side panels carved with a laurel-entwined palm stem supporting a husk-festooned vase with ram-head handles from which a further laurel-entwined palm stem enclosing medallions hung from bowed ribbons, the frieze above applied with entrelac flowerheads with similar decoration to the shaped panel beneath the hood flanked by two putti supports, the top surmounted by a husk-festooned urn with flame-finial having a gadrooned bowl centered by a medallion of Juno; the backboard later, some giltwood carving and the giltmetal dial-mounts replaced at a later date (see below) 7ft. (214cm. high

細節

A GEORGE III MAHOGANY AND PARCEL-GILT MONTH-GOING LONGCASE REGULATOR by John Grant, the 12in. diam. silvered engraved regulator dial with outer minute ring, observatory seconds beneath 60 overlaid with an engine-turned gilt seconds disc, hour ring above 30 similarly overlaid with an engine-turned disc, the spandrels applied with a foliate pierced and engraved mask, the counter-poised hands of blued steel, the massive six pillar movement with gilt-metal dust-covers screwed at the sides and with unusual blued steel swivel latches at the top, the fine high-count train having all wheels with six crossings, the 'scape wheel and and anchor with jewelled pivots the rest with plain end-caps, Harrison maintaing power with finely executed collet, unusual stop-work with fine adjustment, jewelled deadbeat escapement with adjustable pallets, the crutch-piece with beat adjustment and Holmes-type pivoted forks, mercury jar pendulum with calibrated rating disc and blued beat pointer, indirect wind with original brass-cased oval weight and pulley with six crossings, the breakfront case of pedestal form applied with carved giltwood decoration to the plinth with twisted ribbon and acanthus, the inset panel in the front with foliate banding, similar banding to the glazed pendulum door with baize inner lining and locking device for the hood, the side panels carved with a laurel-entwined palm stem supporting a husk-festooned vase with ram-head handles from which a further laurel-entwined palm stem enclosing medallions hung from bowed ribbons, the frieze above applied with entrelac flowerheads with similar decoration to the shaped panel beneath the hood flanked by two putti supports, the top surmounted by a husk-festooned urn with flame-finial having a gadrooned bowl centered by a medallion of Juno; the backboard later, some giltwood carving and the giltmetal dial-mounts replaced at a later date (see below)
7ft. (214cm. high

來源

Sold anonymously in these Rooms, 23 May 1917, lot 122, (100 guineas to Lord Curzon)
Sold by order of The Marchioness Curzon ('owing to her giving up her residence, 1 Carlton House Terrace' on the death of her husband), in these Rooms, 25 June 1931, lot 105, (58 guineas to C. Partridge)
H.M. Lee & Son, sold, 16 June 1933, (#205 to the present owner's Grandmother, with accompanying receipt of payment)

拍品專文

John Grant of Fleet Street was apprenticed to the eminent clockmaker Alexander Cumming and made an Honorary Freeman of the clockmakers' Company in 1781. He was made Warden in 1810, the same year he died.
This remarkable clock with its superlative movement was made in the 1780s and the case was adorned in the 'antique' manner with triumphant arabesque panels and emblematical figures which, together with certain Louis XVI elements, reflect the 1780s' court style introduced by George, Prince of Wales, later King George IV. The dial is supported by Atlas-like genii, the former with Aurora's starred diadem, the latter with Flora's festive wreath and are related to work featuers in R. & J. Adam's, Works in Architure, 1773. Similarly, genii, urns and ribbon-tied medallions are featured in Thomas Chippendale Junior's pattern book of arabesque ornament published in I. Hall, 'The Engravings of Thomas Chippendale Jnr', Furniture History, 1975, pp. 56-8

Along with the dial-mounts, there are some elements of the giltwood carving that have been replaced, no doubt in the 19th century, namely the carving between the 'right' genii and the urn; the carving between the plinth and the base; possibly the carving between base and trunk; possibly the two rosettes on sides of the base. Interestingly, when these alterations were carried out, the two giltwood side panels were backed with wood as opposed to glass and also transposed. One can only suppose that at one stage the clock had got into a very bad condition necessitating these replacements and the addition of the present backboard. The discrepancy of measurement (of 8-9 in.) between 1917 and now is probably accounted for by the removal of an additional plinth, as there can be no doubt that the clock described in 1917 is this clock.

Whilst there is no documentary evidence it is extremely probable that Thomas Chippendale senior made barograph cases for Grant's uncle and master, Alexander Cumming (see: C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. 1, p. 174). This coupled with the similarities of the side panels to the published designs of Thomas Chippendale junior is perhaps more than coincidental.