Lot Essay
William Hopkins Craft (circa 1730-1811) was possibly the brother of Thomas Craft, a painter at the Bow porcelain factory. William Craft was a painter and miniaturist in enamel, exhibiting mainly allegorical subjects at the Royal Academy from 1774 to 1781 and from 1794 to 1795. Sometime in Paris, he was later in partnership with David Rhodes for several years from 1768, when they were both employed by Wedgwood. He must have died poor, for in old age he was admitted to the Charter House. he died in 1811 and the Gentleman's Magazine recorded his death, 'Aged 80, mr. Craft, formerly a Painter, but latterly on the Establishment of the Charter House. He was suddenly taken ill on Clerkenwell Green, and being taken home in a coach expired on entering his apartment.
This clock seems to be part of a small group incorporating enamel plaques by Craft, variously dated, contained in similarly decorated gilt-metal cases with mirror backs. This clock appears to be the mirror image of one traditinally given by george IV to Frederick Malleson, the gardener at Claremont, and which was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 2 May 1979, lot 144. The enamel palque in its front is the reverse of that in this clock and it incorporated a movement of the sam type, almost certainly by the same maker. Its movement was signed Parr, Watch and Clock Maker, No. 20 Strand, presumably for William Parr, who published 'A Treatise on Pocket Watches'.
The second clock of the group is one dated 1779, on which the enamel plaque symbolised England as a colonising power, and which is in the Sandoz collection, now at Château des Monts, Le Locle, Switzerland (Catalogue, no. 3)
The third, signed Invented 1773, finished 1796 was brought nack from China in 1925 by Dr. Loup of Lausanne, amd it incorporates an allegory of the liberated New World being encouraged in the pursuit of freedom by the Old.
The scroll on this, and the clock sold in 1978, reads:
North America discovered 1497
War with Spain from 1739 to 1748
28,414,057
War with France from 1755 and
War with Spain from 1762 to 1763
54,831,132
War with France, Spain, Holland
and America terminated 1783
108,139,982
Debt on Acct of America
191,685,171
Debt before 1783
46,314,829
National Debt 1783
238,000,000
Parliament of Great Britain
Declare the American Rebels
and in 1783 Acknowledge them Independent!!!
Thought the political settlement was concluded fairly soon after Yorktown, the financial settlement that followed the secession of America dragged on and was not completed until the 1790s. Despite its depiction of 'Peace', it seems that the present clock is advocating a strong stand on the colonists' outstanding financial liberties,
This clock seems to be part of a small group incorporating enamel plaques by Craft, variously dated, contained in similarly decorated gilt-metal cases with mirror backs. This clock appears to be the mirror image of one traditinally given by george IV to Frederick Malleson, the gardener at Claremont, and which was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 2 May 1979, lot 144. The enamel palque in its front is the reverse of that in this clock and it incorporated a movement of the sam type, almost certainly by the same maker. Its movement was signed Parr, Watch and Clock Maker, No. 20 Strand, presumably for William Parr, who published 'A Treatise on Pocket Watches'.
The second clock of the group is one dated 1779, on which the enamel plaque symbolised England as a colonising power, and which is in the Sandoz collection, now at Château des Monts, Le Locle, Switzerland (Catalogue, no. 3)
The third, signed Invented 1773, finished 1796 was brought nack from China in 1925 by Dr. Loup of Lausanne, amd it incorporates an allegory of the liberated New World being encouraged in the pursuit of freedom by the Old.
The scroll on this, and the clock sold in 1978, reads:
North America discovered 1497
War with Spain from 1739 to 1748
28,414,057
War with France from 1755 and
War with Spain from 1762 to 1763
54,831,132
War with France, Spain, Holland
and America terminated 1783
108,139,982
Debt on Acct of America
191,685,171
Debt before 1783
46,314,829
National Debt 1783
238,000,000
Parliament of Great Britain
Declare the American Rebels
and in 1783 Acknowledge them Independent!!!
Thought the political settlement was concluded fairly soon after Yorktown, the financial settlement that followed the secession of America dragged on and was not completed until the 1790s. Despite its depiction of 'Peace', it seems that the present clock is advocating a strong stand on the colonists' outstanding financial liberties,