A very rare Austrian Louis XVI gesso, gilt and patinated bronze and gilt-wood figural tallcase clock by JM Schmit in Wien. The massive two tone gesso case has a square base with canted corners to the front that supports a clock on a stepped plinth flanked by a nearly full size figure of Urania above. The whole is adorned with numerous gilt-wood moldings and decorative elements that include military trophies on the doors, stylized butterflies to the sides, a pointer, star and large pharaoh and snake appliqués to the chamfered corners. The well-carved figure of Urania, dressed in flowing drapery, casually leans against the plinth and embraces the large blue sphere elaborately decorated with ormolu stars.

The silver engraved chapter ring dial has large Arabic numbers for the hours, Arabic numbers for the five-minute marks, is signed by the maker, ‘JM Schmit, Wien’ and has two very nicely cast ormolu hands.

The high quality eight-day quarter-striking movement is accessed through a hinged door in the back of the sphere, has two brass-bound un-compounded weights, a high quality dead-beat escapement, a pendulum suspended by spring, the screwed beat adjustment on the crutch and strikes on two large nested bells.

Ref:
In Greek mythology Urania was the muse of astronomy and astrology. She is usually depicted with a globe in one hand and a peg in her other.

During this time period Napoleon’s campaign had been to Egypt and the treasures with which he returned were both well received and enormously influential on the European decorative arts.

Height – 94in.

Retail Price: On Request.

Description coming soon

A nice early 20th German tallcase clock by the LFK Company. The high quality Mahogany veneered case has a stepped convex base with a grid of four recessed panels each with an ebony diamond center at the front. The chamfered door has three thick beveled glasses and the square top has a glazed molded door with ebony beading, pullout frets and an ebonized fluted top.

The square engraved silvered dial has Arabic numbers for the hours and nicely shaped steel spade hands.

The two train movement has a dead-beat escapement with adjustable pallets, is wound by pull-up chains, has maintaining power and strikes on a gong that is mounted to the back of the case. To insure proper resonance, there is an adjustment at the side that adjusts the hammers relationship to the gong.

Height – 79in.

Retail Price: $ 8,500.

A very nice ormolu mounted inlaid Louis XV floor standing long-running regulator clock by J.B. Paillard A Paris. The curvilinear case has purplewood, kingwood and Hollywood veneer on an oak carcass, scrolling bronze mounts and a glazed door.

The 30-day movement is mounted to a large polished brass bracket that is bolted through the thick oak backboard. It has thick two part brass plates, seven shaped pillars, screwed pivot plates front and back, a steel anchor with screw adjustment, a rotational beat adjuster and has a polished brass running weight suspended from Huygens endless rope.

The large well-made compensating pendulum has a polished brass lenticular bob, a two part steel rod, a long copper rod and a screwed arbor for compensation. The whole is suspended by steel spring from a large adjustable block mounted through the backboard. Turning the arbor shifts the pivot point and in turn changes the amount that the bob compensates as the copper rod expands and contracts in reaction to temperature changes.

The ormolu dial is cast with scrolling foliage, has Arabic minute marks, white porcelain cartouche hour plates with blue Roman numerals, a convex porcelain seconds dial and the is signed by the maker on a separate shaped plate, 'I.A.Paillard, A Paris'.

Ref: Tardy's lists Jean Baptiste Paillard as living 1717-1751

Height - 83in.

Retail Price: On Request

A Georgian English mahogany tallcase clock with rocking Father Time by William Bull, Stratford. The small, well-proportioned case has nicely colored and figured mahogany veneers throughout. The broken arch hood has full to the front and quarter to the rear fluted columns with stop fluting, simple brass capitals, glazed sides and a two decorative frets above separated by three fluted blocks surmounted by brass ball finials. The trunk has a broken arch door with molded edge and fluted quarter columns with brass capitals. The plinth has a raised molded panel and stands on a double base with a fretted front.

The decorative broken arch polished brass dial plate has cast floral spandrels, a mated center, a sunken seconds dial with a molded edge and decorative engraving framing a shaped father time aperture with a canted edge. The silvered engraved chapters and plaques include the calendar ring, second's dial, hour's chapter, nameplate, 'William Bull, Stratford', the strike/silent, 'N/S' and both the chapter with 'Tempus Fugit' and rocking father time. Finely cut steel hands indicate the hours, minutes and seconds.

The eight-day time and strike weight-driven movement has five knopped posts, a recoil escapement, a pendulum with a flat brass rod and brass bound lenticular bob and is driven by two brass bound weights. Father Time is connected to the escapewheel arbor and rocks side to side as the clock runs.

Ref: William Bull is listed in Britten's as working 1770-1804.
Statford is sometimes listed as part of London and sometimes as just outside.

Height - 89.5in.

Retail Price: $ 23,000.

A late 19th century English miniature marquetry tallcase clock. The well-proportioned diminutive marquetry case has walnut veneer, cross grained moldings and fields of ebony endgrain with decorative inlay on the door and plinth. The hood has a flat top, glazed sides and barley twist columns while the whole stands on a stepped base.

The square brass dial has nicely cast spandrels, a matted center, a silvered and engraved chapter ring with Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numbers for the five minute marks and two steel nicely cut hands. The wonderful diminutive early two train eight-day movement has four knopped and finned posts, a substantial anchor escapement and a pendulum with steel rod and a brass bound lenticular bob.

During the late 19th century miniature tallcases gained popularity and exact copies of earlier period pieces were made using both old wood and movements. The movements were generally early 19th century twin fusee bracket clock movements, but occasionally contemporary weight-driven movements were employed. This example is unusual since the movement is a period miniature tallcase movement and although old wood was used, the case deviates from the Georgian designs typically copied. It would seem more accurate to speculate that the case from which the movement originated was lost and this was a late 19th century replacement.

Height - 62.25in.

Retail Price: $ 18,000.

A high quality English regency regulator clock by the well-know maker Barwise and Sons, London. The small, well-proportioned round top case has superbly figured and colored mahogany veneers. The glazed round top hood door has a brass bezel, sunken ebony edged spandrels and a thick round glass. Wrapping around the case above and below the waist door are two ebony edged mahogany decorative bands, the top reeded and the bottom fluted. The paneled door with thick cross-grained borders has ebony edges, a superb mahogany panel and two locks along with a thick tongue and groove to securely fasten the door. The whole sits upon the plinth with a cross-grained border and equally impressive paneled center and stands on four ebony feet.
The nicely engraved silvered regulator dial has well-cut steel hands and is signed by the maker, ‘ Barwise and Sons, London’.
The large eight-day Thwaite’s weight driven movement has six large turned pillars, is stamped with the Thwaites number ‘5886’, has shaped pillars to the dial, finely spoked wheels throughout, maintaining power, a dead beat escapement with jeweled pallets spanning 11 of the 30 teeth and a screwed beat adjustment at the crutch. The whole sits upon a thick seatboard that is integral to the case.
The high-quality pendulum has a gilt wood rod with a screwed adjustment to remove the slack between the crutch and the pendulum, is suspended from the thick mahogany backboard from a brass bracket with a screwed lateral adjustment and has a massive pinned brass bound lenticular bob rated by a silvered and engraved grading nut and pointer.
On both plates there are the remnants of the Thwaites name that was originally cast into the plates. Many of the most eminent makers used Thwaites movements. They were outstanding quality and outsourcing the basic movement manufacturing allowed them to concentrate more heavily on some of the more intricate matters such as the finishing work. Since the Thwaite’s records are still available, the subtle remains of the Thwaites name and the stamped number,’5886’ allow us to date the movement manufacture to 1817.
The quality of both the case and movement make this regulator a superb example of English horology. The use of two locks on the trunk door is unusual, but not unprecedented. Margett’s used a very similar case, also with two locks, on one of his sidereal and mean time regulators.
The clock is completely restored.
For additional information on the Thwaites numbering system see:
‘English Dial Clocks’ by Rose, pg. 183.
Barwise and Sons are listed in ‘Britten’s’ as working at 24 St. Martin’s Lane from 1819-1823.