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A very nice 18th century animated marquetry tallcase clock by P. Hoffman, Leyden. The nicely colored and figured walnut veneer has extensive floral inlay that includes people, birds and flowers. Mother and pearl and ivory flowers and accent pieces throughout the case accentuate the wood inlays. The hood has attached columns with brass capitals, a swan’s neck top with a carved centerpiece, frets on three sides, a removable top and three gilt-wood finials. The trunk is chamfered on the front corners, has a shaped door with extensive inlay, cross-grained edge moldings and a brass escutcheon of a female figure riding a bull over the glazed opening. The whole sits upon a bombay bottom with matching inlay and animal feet. The animated brass dial has brass spandrels, a finely matted and engraved center with apertures for both the calendar and moondial, silver, engraved chapters including the hour, seconds, moondial and calendar, silver engraved signature plates signed ‘P. Hoffman, Leyden’ and a painted animated scene in the arch. The panoramic animated harbor scene includes a finely painted harbor city as the background of several waves, sea monsters and ships that all rock as the clock runs. The ‘typically’ Dutch 8-day movement has turned pillars, an anchor escapement and is both Dutch and quarter-striking. At the hour it strikes the hours on the low bell, at the first quarter it strikes once on the low bell, at the half-hour it strikes the next hour on the high bell, at the third quarter it strikes once on the high bell. Unfortunately, as is the case in many Dutch tallcases, this clock fell victim to a lazy repairman who removed the alarm mechanism.
Height - 9ft.
SOLD

An early 19th century English stick barometer with exposed tube signed ‘Hunter, 50Hhigh St.’, Ramsgate’. The case with nicely figured mahogany herringbone veneer, an arched top, a molded edge with border stringing, silvered, engraved scales and a hemispherical cistern cover. The barometric scale is signed by the maker, ‘Hunter, 50 High St., Ramsgate’, is numbered 27-31 with 10th divisions and the appropriate weather indications, and has a friction set Vernier. The temperature scale is in Fahrenheit and has a mercury tube. The boxwood cistern is concealed by a particularly well-turned cover and is housed in the base with a fixed adjusting screw regulated out the bottom. The whole is in restored condition.
Height- 38in.
SOLD

c.1795 Ormolu and White Marble Mantle Clock, Meuron & Comp, 9082.

This very nice Louis XVI ormolu and white marble quarter-striking mantle clock is signed by the maker, Meuron & Comp, both on the dial and the backplate. It depicts two wonderfully cast and modeled ormolu dogs that support the top portion of clock. The scene above depicts cupid flying amongst the clouds. In one hand is his torch while in the other is the end of the garlands which serve as the dogs' leashes. The whole sits upon the shaped white marble base which is adorned with numerous mounts, including baskets and garlands, and stands upon four toupie feet. The white porcelain dial is signed by the maker, the name encircled in gold, has nicely cast and unusually shaped ormolu hands, black Arabic numerals, gold dots as the five-minute markers and black stars as the minute markers. The eight-day two-train movement has a flat bottom, is quarter-striking on two bells and still retains its original silk-thread suspension with the fast/slow operated through the dial. The backplate is signed and numbered by the maker and carries the strikework. Guglielmo Meuron is listed in Tardy's dictionary as a maker of high-end travel clocks, many of which were provided to Breguet. This would give some explanation as to why the clock is quarter-striking and why the strike-work is located on the backplate. Height 17in. For a similar clock see La Pendule Française, pg.278.
SOLD

A rare, exceptionally fine quality miniature Japanese pillar clock. The Shitan wood case still retains its original lift-off hood, removable wood scale and a drawer to store the key. The hood has a removable sliding front door, is glazed on three sides and is held in place by a swing latch. The weight driven movement has a verge escapement with a brass balance wheel, crisply turned pillars and wheelwork and an engraved front plate. The crescent-shaped hand is mounted to the lead going weight and indicates the time on the original 13 adjustable, silvered and engraved plaques that are pinned to the removable scale as the weight descends.
The vast majority of pillar clocks are over 16inches long. It is exceedingly rare to find such a wonderfully preserved example in such a diminutive size. This piece is completely restored and would make a fine addition to even the most discriminating collection.
Original silver key included.
Overall Height – 83/8 in.
SOLD

A rare, enameled annular globe clock by Antoine Redier. The colorfully enameled globe shows the continents, oceans, countries, cities and numerous other geographical locations, in English, is gimbaled in a gilt-bronze frame on a red marble base, and rotates once per day. It is monogrammed within a Cartouche by the maker, Redier, and is dated, 1873, above the cartouche and underneath the equatorial band. The stationary steel pointer has an applied sun, originates from the North Pole and indicates the time on a gilt-bronze segmented equatorial band that has individually applied porcelain Arabic numbers arranged in two sequences of 1-12 running from east to west.
The time-only eight-day movement has a balance wheel escapement and is wound by inserting the special key through the lower frame into the globe and then rotating the globe until wound.
The clock is numbered 220 in several places including the gilt-bronze frame, the equatorial ring and the balance platform.
Antoine Redier is listed in several reference works including Tardy’s Dictionary of Clockmakers. This is truly a unique and original piece in completely restored condition.
Overall Height – 7.75in.
SOLD