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ROBERT SAMPSON, LONDON. CIRCA 1790
Details
A George III ebonised and ormolu-mounted musical automaton table regulator
Robert Sampson, London. Circa 1790
The case with flambeau finials to the pagoda top centred by an automaton ormolu Chinese gentleman striking the hours on a bell to the inside of the dome, further Chinoiserie figures to each angle, the sides with handles and ormolu silk-backed sound fret panels, the moulded base on foliate scroll feet, the front door with foliate pierced and engraved blind frets around the glazed bezel to the circular dial of unusual layout with outer painted seconds ring with counterpoised blued steel hand, the matted centre with eccentric chapter rings for minutes and hours - each with winding hole, the lower main subsidiary indicating the age of the moon flanked by smaller dials for six tune selection and chime/silent selection, the movement with twin chain fusees and spring barrels, verge escapement with deadbeat arrangement having a bridged arm mounted on the backplate with spring-loaded pallet advancing the teeth of a centre wheel through an aperture in the backplate, the music playing every three hours on six bells via thirteen hammers and 9cm. long pin barrel, the backplate well engraved with scrolling foliage and a central basket of flowers, similarly engraved securing brackets and pendulum holdfast
32¼in. (82cm.) high
Robert Sampson, London. Circa 1790
The case with flambeau finials to the pagoda top centred by an automaton ormolu Chinese gentleman striking the hours on a bell to the inside of the dome, further Chinoiserie figures to each angle, the sides with handles and ormolu silk-backed sound fret panels, the moulded base on foliate scroll feet, the front door with foliate pierced and engraved blind frets around the glazed bezel to the circular dial of unusual layout with outer painted seconds ring with counterpoised blued steel hand, the matted centre with eccentric chapter rings for minutes and hours - each with winding hole, the lower main subsidiary indicating the age of the moon flanked by smaller dials for six tune selection and chime/silent selection, the movement with twin chain fusees and spring barrels, verge escapement with deadbeat arrangement having a bridged arm mounted on the backplate with spring-loaded pallet advancing the teeth of a centre wheel through an aperture in the backplate, the music playing every three hours on six bells via thirteen hammers and 9cm. long pin barrel, the backplate well engraved with scrolling foliage and a central basket of flowers, similarly engraved securing brackets and pendulum holdfast
32¼in. (82cm.) high
Provenance
The present clock was almost certainly the property of the great industrialist Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) of Soho House, Birmingham. It would then have passed to his son Matthew Robinson Boulton who moved to Great Tew Park, Oxfordshire in 1816. In 1987 much of the contents of Great Tew, including many fine pieces of furniture made for the house by George Bullock, were sold at Christie's in a record-breaking house sale. The present clock was discovered later in one of the attics, it was subsequently restored and is now offered for sale.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.