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Lot Essay
As Derek Roberts writes, very few musical skeleton clocks appear to have been made (p. 223). With its four trains, twenty four bells, seven gongs and full annual calendar, this is a particularly fine and complex example. Other musical skeleton clocks sold at auction in recent years include one by Ross sold at Christie's London, 1 July 2005, lot 97 (£62,400), also illustrated by Roberts (pp. 224-225) and a far less complicated example retailed by Crawford, Glasgow, sold at Christie's London (11 July 2003, lot 42, £34,655), a comparable clock to which is also illustrated in Roberts (p. 219, fig. 6/7).
The clock chimes the quarters on either eight bells or four gongs and plays one of seven tunes at the hour, using twenty-one hammers on sixteen bells. The tunes will change daily (although there is a provision for manual change) and the hymn ('Great God what do I see and Hear') is intended for Sunday. After the hymn plays, two extra gongs are used to sound 'Amen' -- a possibly unique feature of this clock.
In Royer-Collard and Roberts the clock is illustrated in a floral marquetry inlaid table-top case which appears to be an Edwardian replacement. The present owner has in turn replaced this with a more fully glazed case which displays the complex mechanism to greater effect. However, the marquetry case is still extant and can be made available.
The clock chimes the quarters on either eight bells or four gongs and plays one of seven tunes at the hour, using twenty-one hammers on sixteen bells. The tunes will change daily (although there is a provision for manual change) and the hymn ('Great God what do I see and Hear') is intended for Sunday. After the hymn plays, two extra gongs are used to sound 'Amen' -- a possibly unique feature of this clock.
In Royer-Collard and Roberts the clock is illustrated in a floral marquetry inlaid table-top case which appears to be an Edwardian replacement. The present owner has in turn replaced this with a more fully glazed case which displays the complex mechanism to greater effect. However, the marquetry case is still extant and can be made available.