Lewis Walduck
Cataloguer
Lot 84*
A fine and rare late 17th century quarter repeating timepiece with believed provenance to the Empress Dowager of China, Cixi (1835-1908) Thomas Tompion, London, No. 93, circa 1686. The current case handmade by Percy Dawson circa 1952 to replace an earlier example in rosewood.
2 July 2025, 13:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £76,600 inc. premium
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A fine and rare late 17th century quarter repeating timepiece with believed provenance to the Empress Dowager of China, Cixi (1835-1908)
Thomas Tompion, London, No. 93, circa 1686. The current case handmade by Percy Dawson circa 1952 to replace an earlier example in rosewood.
The faceted handle with central foliate bud raised on spherical internal pommels set on a pair of shaped brass flower head mounts, the caddy further set with three crisply cast mounts of foliate scrolls backed by red silk, the boldly moulded cornice over long rectangular glazed side panels to a moulded plinth base, the front door with pierced brass silk-backed sound fret over a pair of matching escutcheons, the rear door punch numbered 93 to the inside sill.
The 6 inch square gilt brass dial signed along the lower edge in a flowing copperplate script Thos Tompion Londini fecit, with a single line border framing the four winged cherubs head spandrels and the silvered chapter ring with outer Arabic five minute divisions, minute band, Roman hour numerals, sword-shaped half hour marks, and inner quarter hour track. The finely matted centre with winding square and a pair of blued steel hands, (the hour typically set on a hexagonal pipe). Secured to the movement by three latched dial feet.
The single gut fusee movement with asymmetric plates; the front approximately 15cms x 19.7cms, (6ins x 7.75 ins) the backplate a much larger 18.2cms x 21cms (7 1/8th ins x 8.25ins) so that it fills the interior of the case when viewed from the rear. The plates united by six knopped pillars latched to the frontplate which is cast and cut to accommodate Tompions substantial steel and brass quarter repeat system. The going train with a single gut fusee to a verge escapement with short pendulum terminating in a cast pear-shaped bob with engraved scale, repeating the hours and quarters on two bells on the pulling of a cord from either side of the case via a pivoted blued steel bar and linkages cocked on the backplate. The backplate signed in a rectangular cartouche Tho Tompion Londini Fecit within a symmetrical pattern of scrolling foliage engraved by the Tulip engraver, and punch numbered 93 along the lower edge. Ticking and repeating. Sold together with two case keys and a winding key.
35cms (13.75ins) high.
The faceted handle with central foliate bud raised on spherical internal pommels set on a pair of shaped brass flower head mounts, the caddy further set with three crisply cast mounts of foliate scrolls backed by red silk, the boldly moulded cornice over long rectangular glazed side panels to a moulded plinth base, the front door with pierced brass silk-backed sound fret over a pair of matching escutcheons, the rear door punch numbered 93 to the inside sill.
The 6 inch square gilt brass dial signed along the lower edge in a flowing copperplate script Thos Tompion Londini fecit, with a single line border framing the four winged cherubs head spandrels and the silvered chapter ring with outer Arabic five minute divisions, minute band, Roman hour numerals, sword-shaped half hour marks, and inner quarter hour track. The finely matted centre with winding square and a pair of blued steel hands, (the hour typically set on a hexagonal pipe). Secured to the movement by three latched dial feet.
The single gut fusee movement with asymmetric plates; the front approximately 15cms x 19.7cms, (6ins x 7.75 ins) the backplate a much larger 18.2cms x 21cms (7 1/8th ins x 8.25ins) so that it fills the interior of the case when viewed from the rear. The plates united by six knopped pillars latched to the frontplate which is cast and cut to accommodate Tompions substantial steel and brass quarter repeat system. The going train with a single gut fusee to a verge escapement with short pendulum terminating in a cast pear-shaped bob with engraved scale, repeating the hours and quarters on two bells on the pulling of a cord from either side of the case via a pivoted blued steel bar and linkages cocked on the backplate. The backplate signed in a rectangular cartouche Tho Tompion Londini Fecit within a symmetrical pattern of scrolling foliage engraved by the Tulip engraver, and punch numbered 93 along the lower edge. Ticking and repeating. Sold together with two case keys and a winding key.
35cms (13.75ins) high.
Footnotes
This clock is first recorded at auction on 17th November 1950 at Sotheby's in London. It was advertised as 'The Property of D.F.C. Cleland' and carried a footnote that reads thus:
"This early example is believed to have belonged to the Empress Dowager of China (Tzu Hsi) and formerly to have been in the large collection of clocks and watches formed by the Emperor K'ang Hsi (1662-1723)."
Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) has been hailed by some as the most important woman in Chinese history, responsible for bringing the country into the modern age. In the early 20th century, she secured substantial funds from the financial community using valuable items from the Imperial collection in the Forbidden City as collateral against the funds. When it became apparent that the funds would not be repaid, the bank was entitled to sell the objects, either directly to contacts or through intermediaries. It is well reported, for instance that the great connoisseur and collector Sir Percival David purchased items of significance from the Yuin Yeh bank in 1927 - these are now on permanent display in the British Museum as part of the Percival David Foundation. The Imperial Household Department are also known to have passed items into the open market around this time.
Our research reveals that the 1950 Sotheby's vendor, D.F.C. Cleland, was a high ranking banker based in Peiping (now Beijing), active from at least the 1930s. He worked for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, based on Legation Street. As a well-connected banker in a small world, it is perfectly reasonable to suggest that Cleland would have been well aware of the existence of these objects, and the route that many of them took.
The fact that when the clock was sold at Sotheby's it was in "a rosewood case, evidently of Chinese manufacture but made in English style." tells us that the clock was in China at some time prior to 1950, and very strongly suggests that Cleland purchased the clock while he was stationed there.
The rosewood family is large and includes the highly prized Chinese variety of yellow flowering pear 'Huanghuali' (Dalbergia odorifera). It is easy to see how a Chinese- made Huanghuali case could have been described as 'rosewood' once it had been brought into the UK. Huanghuali has been highly prized for hundreds of years for it's deep sheen and rich colour. Indeed, a high proportion of Chinese Imperial furniture over the centuries has been made with Huanghuali and the fact that this clock when sold at Sotheby's was housed in such a way would point to a high ranking owner. It is reasonable to suggest that once the clock had made it's way to China it was re-cased to better suit other furniture and fittings in a house or - perhaps - an Imperial Palace.
The consignor of this lot has informed Bonhams that they intend to donate their proceeds from the sale to Medecins Sans Frontières
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