Daniel Quare, London

Circa 1695

Sold

95 inches

An exceptional gilt-metal mounted burr walnut month-going longcase clock. CASE The burr walnut case has a well-proportioned hood with a foliate pierced walnut fret below an inverted caddy top with three pedestals and brass ball finials, the sides have similar walnut sound frets and glazed apertures. A beautiful bolection brass molding frames the dial aperture while walnut three quarter columns, with brass capitals and bases, flank the hood door. The rectangular trunk door with tight burr veneers in two book-matched sections with superb figuring, herringbone banding and cross grain edge mouldings. The plinth also has two book-matched veneer sections framed by further herringbone inlay with outer cross banding and the whole clock stands on a single skirt. DIAL The 12-inch square brass dial plate has foliate and leaf engraving at XII, III, VI & IX and is signed Dan. Quare, London on the silvered chapter ring which has Roman hour numerals and sword hilt half-hour markers whilst the Arabic minutes sit within the minute track. The finely matted centre has ringed winding holes, a date square above VI and silvered seconds ring below XII. The finely cast high relief spandrels have twin cherubs supporting a classical female head with a foliate diadem. The dial plate and spandrels retain a lovely mellow gilt lacquer. MOVEMENT The high quality movement has tall heavy brass rectangular plates held together by five knopped pillars with typical Quare ring-turning to the centres. The going train has five wheels to the recoil anchor escapement while the strike train has an internal rack with the snail mounted on the front plate. The pendulum rod has a flat iron section and retains the original brass-cased lenticular bob. The brass-cased lead weights also appear to be original. Daniel Quare Daniel Quare (c.1649-1724) became one of the most illustrious clockmakers in England. The earliest record of him is his appearance in the minutes of a Clockmakers’ Company Quarter Court on 3 April 1671, when he was admitted as a Brother of the Company upon payment of £3. In 1698 Quare became an Assistant to the Clockmakers Company, Warden in 1705 and Master in 1708. Although he was never formally a clockmaker to the Crown, Quare nonetheless enjoyed Royal patronage. A year-duration burr walnut longcase clock made for William III can still be seen at Hampton Court, where there are also two barometers by his hand. George I offered Quare the post of King’s Watchmaker for £300 year but his inability to swear the necessary Oath of Allegiance (he was a Quaker) precluded his acceptance. Even so, the King told Quare that he could visit any time and the Yeoman of the Guard at the Back Stairs let him frequently go up without calling any body for leave as otherwise is usual, tho Persons of Quality. COMMENTS ON THIS CLOCK The construction, style and veneer type is typical of the very best longcases by Daniel Quare at this period. The inverted bell top, whilst not absolutely unique to Quare, is often viewed as a signature feature of his longcases. The case itself is of magnificent proportions and the burr walnut veneer is of deeply contrasted black & brown walnut burr, a variety of cut that Quare appears to have favoured on his most expensive productions. A very small number of these cases also have a brass bound dial aperture; these examples include a spectacular year-going longcase clock, with possible Royal association, now in the British Museum. The dial is lovely with superb matting, top quality spandrels and fine engraving on the dial plate and chapter ring; all of which retain a good colour and old lacquer. The spandrels and engraving are typical of Quare’s workshop. The hands are well pierced and shaped with typical ring turned bosses. The month going movement is also of his finest quality. Construction is again typical throughout with five knopped pillars, all ring turned in the distinctive pattern used, at this time, by Quare’s workshop.