Lewis Walduck
Cataloguer
Lot 129
A rare first half of the 17th century first period "potato head" lantern clock with rare half-hour strike Unsigned
2 July 2025, 13:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£9,000 - £13,000
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A rare first half of the 17th century first period "potato head" lantern clock with rare half-hour strike
Unsigned
Surmounted by four squat urn finials above turned Doric columns on inverted acorn feet. The narrow chapter ring with single line border, slender Roman hours, fleur de lys half-hour markers and an inner quarter hour track set on a dial plate with floral engraved corners and an inner ring of six flowerheads, the one directly below XII further engraved with a so-called 'potato head'. The movement now with a pendulum-driven verge escapement, the striking train unusually with passing strike on the half hour via a small hammer, and full strike on the hour via a larger hammer; the hour hammer with tapering steel upright spring with fettled foot.
(Evidence of the original balance wheel escapement still visible on the top plate. Bell strap, bell, frets, doors, pendulum, weights, alarm-disc and alarm work now lacking).
32cms (12.5ins) high.
Surmounted by four squat urn finials above turned Doric columns on inverted acorn feet. The narrow chapter ring with single line border, slender Roman hours, fleur de lys half-hour markers and an inner quarter hour track set on a dial plate with floral engraved corners and an inner ring of six flowerheads, the one directly below XII further engraved with a so-called 'potato head'. The movement now with a pendulum-driven verge escapement, the striking train unusually with passing strike on the half hour via a small hammer, and full strike on the hour via a larger hammer; the hour hammer with tapering steel upright spring with fettled foot.
(Evidence of the original balance wheel escapement still visible on the top plate. Bell strap, bell, frets, doors, pendulum, weights, alarm-disc and alarm work now lacking).
32cms (12.5ins) high.
Footnotes
The passing half-hour strike system employed in the current lot may well be unique, to the best of our knowledge no other such system has been recorded.
The two different strikes are both activated by the twelve-point star wheel on the back of the hour wheel - the hour strike is set off in the usual manner, but thirty minutes later, the same tooth runs against the tapered tail of the half-hour hammer and activates it on passing. The large return spring for the half hour hammer is secured by it's foot which is friction fitted and hammered over into the front bar. The front bar is furthermore of note in having an increased width around the great wheel pivot point, a practise sometimes used by Ahasuerus Fromanteel.
The 'ring of roses' dial design was popular in the First Period of London production. The additional human face depicted in the uppermost flowerhead was used by a smaller group of makers including William Bowyer, Henry Stevens and John Cattle, but other unsigned examples are also known.
Additional information
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