James Stratton
Director
Lot 69*
A fine and very rare late 17th century ebony veneered quarter repeating table timepiece Thomas Tompion, Londini Fecit, un-numbered, circa 1680-85
22 June 2021, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £156,500 inc. premium
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A fine and very rare late 17th century ebony veneered quarter repeating table timepiece
Thomas Tompion, Londini Fecit, un-numbered, circa 1680-85
Surmounted by a bold facetted foliate-bud handle on internal pommels set on flowerhead mounts, the caddy with four applied foliate scroll mounts set against red silk, the moulded cornice over long rectangular glazed side panels to a moulded plinth base on turned bun feet, the front door with pierced brass sound fret over twin escutcheons to the uprights.
The 6 inch square gilt brass dial signed 'Tho. Tompion Londini Fecit' along the lower edge within a single line border enclosing the winged cherub's head spandrels, the silvered chapter ring with five-minute Arabic numerals, minute track and Roman hours divided by meeting arrow-head half-hour markers and inner quarter hour track, the finely matted centre with good blued steel hands, and typical three latched dial feet to the movement.
The movement united by six latched, knopped and ringed pillars, the frontplate measuring 15cms x 21cms (6ins x 8.25ins) and cut to accommodate part of the elaborate brass and steel quarter striking train, the larger backplate measuring 16.5cms x 21cms (6.5ins x 8.25ins) cut with an arched aperture to accommodate the protruding hour bell, and further cut for the pivotted quarter striking levers, signed across the centre 'Tho Tompion Londini Fecit' in a rectangle, the lower third of the plate decorated with symmetrical flower heads on stalks emanating from the lower edge, the upper portion of the plate with a further six flowerheads within foliage. The verge escapement mounted on a knife edge and driven by a chain fusee and short pendulum with pear shaped bob. The hours and quarters struck at will by pulling a cord from either side of the case (each repeat cord passing through a brass ferrule), struck on two bells and hammers.
35cms (13 1/2ins) high
Surmounted by a bold facetted foliate-bud handle on internal pommels set on flowerhead mounts, the caddy with four applied foliate scroll mounts set against red silk, the moulded cornice over long rectangular glazed side panels to a moulded plinth base on turned bun feet, the front door with pierced brass sound fret over twin escutcheons to the uprights.
The 6 inch square gilt brass dial signed 'Tho. Tompion Londini Fecit' along the lower edge within a single line border enclosing the winged cherub's head spandrels, the silvered chapter ring with five-minute Arabic numerals, minute track and Roman hours divided by meeting arrow-head half-hour markers and inner quarter hour track, the finely matted centre with good blued steel hands, and typical three latched dial feet to the movement.
The movement united by six latched, knopped and ringed pillars, the frontplate measuring 15cms x 21cms (6ins x 8.25ins) and cut to accommodate part of the elaborate brass and steel quarter striking train, the larger backplate measuring 16.5cms x 21cms (6.5ins x 8.25ins) cut with an arched aperture to accommodate the protruding hour bell, and further cut for the pivotted quarter striking levers, signed across the centre 'Tho Tompion Londini Fecit' in a rectangle, the lower third of the plate decorated with symmetrical flower heads on stalks emanating from the lower edge, the upper portion of the plate with a further six flowerheads within foliage. The verge escapement mounted on a knife edge and driven by a chain fusee and short pendulum with pear shaped bob. The hours and quarters struck at will by pulling a cord from either side of the case (each repeat cord passing through a brass ferrule), struck on two bells and hammers.
35cms (13 1/2ins) high
Footnotes
Jeremy Evans lists only five un-numbered 8-day spring driven timepieces by Thomas Tompion. All are in ebony Phase One cases and all have the bell set into a cut-out aperture in the large backplate. Two emanate from two of the great 20th century collections, the first from The Wetherfield Collection, inventory number 23, which with the added complication of an alarm train sold at Christies, London, June 2011 for £289,000. The second from the Iden collection, (illustrated in Percy Dawson's overview published by the Antique Collectors Club 1987 on page 87) which is now in private hands.
The cut out was necessary because at this time Tompion used a backplate that was larger than the frontplate. It is a rare feature, but others are known, the latest known to us dates to circa 1687. R.W. Symonds in his standard work illustrates three backplates with cut-outs for the bell:
Figure 174 - the backplate of clock number 22, the angle of the shoulders are comparable with the current lot, however the repeat slots run all the way to the edge of the plate, the signature sits within a full pattern of flowers and foliage.
Figure 176 - the backplate of clock number 66 has smaller, shallower shoulders and the repeat is activated via a Z-bar. The engraving is lighter than figure 174 and more comparable to the current lot.
Figure 181 clock number 96.
A similar engraved backplate with cut-out but a Z-bar repeat system was sold in these rooms and is illustrated in Dzik, 'Engraving on English Table Clocks: Art on a Canvas of Brass 1660-1800', 2019, Wild Boar Publications, p.109, Fig.7.10.
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