HENRY HARRISON, LONDON, CIRCA 1735

Details

A GEORGE II MAHOGANY QUARTER-STRIKING LONGCASE CLOCK
HENRY HARRISON, LONDON, CIRCA 1735
The arched pediment centring an allegorical bust of Time above shell-carved volutes and guilloche flanking a brass dial with unusual seasonal figural spandrels in the Dutch manner, to silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with fleur-de-lys half hour markers and signed 'Henry Harrison/LONDON', the matted centre with subsidiary seconds ring, ringed winding holes and date aperture, with blued steel pierced hands, the arch applied with relief figures of Mercury and Fortuna after Giambologna, flanking a silvered lunar date ring, its matted centre with engraved penny moon, the eight day movement with five ringed pillars and anchor escapement, with hour strike on bell and quarter chimes on a nest of six further bells strike cylinder, the tapering case with conforming door on a leaf-carved stepped molded plinth
96 in. (244 cm.) high; 22½ in. (57 cm.) wide; 11½ in. (60 cm.) deep

Provenance

with Anthony Woodburn, Kent.
Bought from Hotspur, London.
Private collection, New York.
Private collection, London.

Literature

R.W. Symonds, 'English Furniture from Charles II to George II', Connoisseur, London, 1938, p. 288, fig. 232.
N. Goodison and R. Kearn, Hotspur: Eighty Years of Antiques Dealing, London, 2004, pp. 260-261, cat. 3.

Special notice

Following the auction, this lot will be stored at Crozier Park Royal and will be available for collection from 12.00pm on the second business day after the sale. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Crozier Park Royal. All collections from Crozier Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 I Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com.

Brought to you by

Charlotte Young Associate Director, Specialist

cyoung@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2730

Lot Essay

This distinctive architectural longcase clock inspired by the designs of William Kent is one of two similar known by the London maker Henry Harrison. The other, without Chronos bust and break-arch pediment, sold Christie’s, New York, 18 October 2005, lot 385. Both have the same dial layout with large date ring together with the Seasons as spandrels. Another clock with conforming architectural hood, illustrated in Symonds, with movement by John Vale, was formerly the property of the artist William Hogarth whose Chiswick property was adjoining Kent’s villa for Lord Burlington.

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