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Circa 1765
Sold
21 inches high
A very rare quarter chiming ebony table clock with calendar. CASE The case is surmounted by a brass swan-neck cast handle with four turned finials flanking the bell top with fine quality original and untouched chinoiserie decoration on a dark green ground. The raised decoration to the front with gilt highlighted buildings and birds, the rear with buildings and a figure on a bridge. The front door with original lock and hinges has similar raised work including a ship and geometric patterns. The base is typical of lacquer clocks of the period with an exaggerated shaped skirting with matching decoration. The rear has matching decoration with some losses to the lower part of the skirted foot. DIAL The 7 inch gilt-brass dial with a silvered chapter ring having Roman and Arabic numerals with minute track between, signed Marm.d Storr, London at VI. The finely matted centre with mock pendulum and calendar aperture with original pierced blued steel hands and ‘Indian head’ cast gilt-brass spandrels. The arch has a subsidiary ring for pendulum regulation flanked by matching spandrels and strike/silent lever above XI. The finely pierced and shaped blued steel hands are all original. MOVEMENT The movement has five knopped pillars, spring barrels and gut fusees. The going train with the original verge escapement has a lenticular pendulum which is suspended on a steel spring from the wheatear-engraved brass regulation bar above the plates, passing through the original engraved apron on the backcock. The strike train has a steel hour rack planted on the front plate in the usual manner and strikes the hours on a bell. The pull quarter repeat train is entirely original, working on six bells via a pull-cord through the side of the case and tripping the hours as necessary. The backplate is beautifully engraved with scrolling foliage within a scored line border and it is further signed Marm: Storr, London above the spring-loaded wheatear-engraved pendulum securing block. The movement is secured in the case by means of two wheatear-engraved brass brackets. SIZE: 20¾ ins. (53cm.) high; 12¼ ins. (31cm.) wide; 8ins. (20.5cm.) deep Marmaduke Storr, is believed to have been the son of a Yorkshire clockmaker with the same name (d.1750), he was a watch and clockmaker of fine repute. Apprenticed in 1724, he worked variously at the foot of London Bridge, in Lombard Street and Southwark until circa 1775. The present clock represents an increasingly rare example of English domestic lacquer work in very good and yet untouched condition. The originality of the movement reflects that of the case and, although fully serviced, all patination to the metalwork has also been retained.