WILLIAM KNOTTESFORD. CIRCA 1670

細節

A Charles II olivewood and ebonised striking turntable clock
William Knottesford. Circa 1670
The movement with thin brass plates with chamfered tops, split front plate, eight latched ring-turned pillars, restored knife-edge verge escapement, twin fusees with gut lines, hour strike via calibrated countwheel positioned high on the backplate with later pendulum holdfast, the 9¼in. square dial signed William Knottesford London beneath the narrow silvered chapter ring, pierced blued steel hands, matted centre with small subsidiary seconds and calendar aperture, winged cherub spandrels, the case with key drawer to the 'bible back' moulded crest atop the case, ebonised twist columns to the front, glazed sides and on a later turntable plinth with ebonised bun feet, the case possibly originally ebonised
18¼in. (46.5cm.) high

來源

Sotheby's, London, 3 October, 1991, lot 263

出版

ILLUSTRATED
Dawson P. G., Drover C. B. & Parkes D. W., Early English Clocks, Antique Collectors' Club, 1982, pp. 180-182, pl. 242
Cescinsky H. & Webster P., English Domestic Clocks, Routledge, 1914, pp. 260-264, fig. 275

展覽

Science Museum, British Clockmakers' Heritage Exhibition, no. 89, 1952

注意事項

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

拍品專文

The present clock, and another very similar, are illustrated in Early English Clocks, op. cit., both are without their turntable bases. These large table clocks, distinctive by their bold cases with twist columns and 9-10in. square dials, were made within a very narrow period of London clockmaking some 10-15 years after the invention of the pendulum. It was a fascinating period of considerable change where the architectural or gable topped case had been the dominant style for some 10 years. The present case style designed as a stationary piece of furniture, held for a very brief period of time of some 2-4 years before being superceded. The advance in clockmaking skills by makers such as Tompion, Knibb and Quare led to innovation such as repeat work, better reliability and with it greater accuracy. The new era, under the 'enlightened' reign of King Charles II resulted in a boom for English clockmaking, cases became smaller and more portable and were being used both downstairs during the day and upstairs beside the bed at night.