Beschreibung:

A FINE AND RARE CHARLES II OLIVEWOOD OYSTER VENEERED SMALL LONGCASE CLOCK OF ONE MONTH DURATION
THOMAS TOMPION, LONDON, NO. 136 CIRCA 1688/89
The substantial six finned and latched pillar movement with five-wheel trains and plates measuring 8 by 5.5 inches, the going train with bolt-and-shutter maintaining power and anchor escapement regulated by seconds pendulum with long crutch, the strike train with external countwheel set on a pivot-post driven by a pinion-of-report applied to the second wheel arbor and sounding the hours on a bell mounted above the plates, the 'type 1' latched 10.25 inch square gilt brass dial with shuttered winding holes, subsidiary seconds dial and calendar aperture to the finely matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with cruciform half hour markers and small Arabic five minutes beyond the outer minute track, with sculpted scroll pierced steel hands and applied winged cherub mask spandrels to angles within a 'double herringbone' engraved outer interrupted by the engraved signature Tho: Tompion Londini Fecit to lower margin, in an oyster olive wood veneered case with rising hood incorporating architectural ogee moulded cornice and oyster veneered frieze over glazed dial aperture flanked opposing Solomonic twist columns, the sides with rectangular windows and conforming quarter columns set against bargeboards at the rear, the trunk with convex throat moulding over 40 inch rectangular door veneered with three linked boxwood outlined architectural break-arch panels populated by oyster cut veneers incorporating geometric radial design to the central panel, with half-round cross grain edge mouldings and crossbanded surround, the sides veneered with repeating oysters with a conforming crossbanded border, the base with stepped ogee top moulding over conforming architectural panel veneered crossbanded front and moulded skirt.
186.5cm (73.5ins) high, 43cm (17ins) wide, 25cm (9.75ins) deep.
 
Provenance:
The Leonard Fuller Collection, purchased from G.H. Bell, Winchester, 6th September 1966 for £6,170.
Purchased by G.H. Bell from Sotheby's, London, sale of FINE ENGLISH AND CONTINENTAL FURNITURE, RUGS AND CARPETS, TAPESTRIES AND CLOCKS 21st May 1965 (Lot 55) 'The Property of a Gentleman' for £1,600 hammer.
 
Thomas Tompion has often been referred to as the 'father of English clock and watchmaking'. When considering the legacy of his work and influence on subsequent generations, such a compliment is justly deserved. Born in Ickwell, Suffolk in 1639 Thomas Tompion appears to have developed an affinity for metalworking from his father, also named Thomas, who worked as a blacksmith. By 1670 Tompion had moved to London and was working in the clock and watchmaking trade. Although there is no record of his apprenticeship or whether he received any formal training prior to moving to London, he quickly became established and obtained his freedom of the Clockmaker's Company in late 1671. His early clocks demonstrate a close working relationship with the Fromanteel, East and Knibb workshops. Around this time Tompion became friendly with eminent mathematicians and scientists such as Robert Hooke and Jonas Moore - perhaps the most progressive and inventive minds of the day. Such associations lead to Royal commissions, firstly from Charles II for whom Tompion is known to have made one of the earliest balance-spring watches in 1676 and later William III who ordered numerous clocks to furnish his various palaces throughout his reign.
As well as being an extremely talented artisan Tompion was also commercially minded, cleverly introducing serial numbering for his watches and clocks from around 1681/2. This, as well as maintaining a high degree of refinement in both the design and construction of his clocks and watches, ensured the highest level of exclusivity for clients purchasing from him. In around 1701 Thomas Tompion took a former apprentice, Edward Banger, into partnership. Banger was originally apprenticed to Thomas Ashby in 1687 but was transferred over to Tompion and gained his freedom of the Clockmaker's Company in 1695. He was clearly a talented maker (when considering the few examples signed by Banger alone) however a serious problem between him and his former master caused the partnership to come to an abrupt end in 1707-8 for reasons unknown. On Banger's departure Tompion reverted to working alone until he found confidence in George Graham who had been engaged as a journeyman for Tompion since 1696. Graham's character had already been given the seal of approval by Tompion who allowed him to marry his niece, Elizabeth, in 1704; however it still would be a few years before Tompion would take Graham into partnership which he eventually did in 1711.
Thomas Tompion died in November 1713 leaving the business to George Graham who maintained the same exacting standards and became famous in his own right with notable achievements including the development of the deadbeat escapement for pendulum clocks and the cylinder escapement for watches. Edward Banger outlived Tompion by six years, his abilities as a highly skilled watchmaker are demonstrated within a fine jewelled movement dating to around 1715 by him illustrated by him in Evans, Jeremy THOMAS TOMPION at the Dial and Three Crowns page 54, Fig. 97.
 
The movement and dial of the present lot conform to the 'type 1' phase of Tompion longcase clock development as set-out in Evans, Jeremy; Carter, Jonathan and Wright, Ben THOMAS TOMPION 300 YEARS pages 197-217. The dial is indeed a 'textbook' example of its type and can be directly compared to that of another month longcase (number 14) with double wheat-ear border by Tompion, illustrated in Symonds, R.W. THOMAS TOMPION on page 78 (Figure 54). The movement conforms to Tompion's standard layout for a month duration longcase clock with another of near identical design (number 223) illustrated by Evans, Carter and Wright on page 204. Indeed, the only real variances between these movements are that the present lot has taller plates and no pallet-shaped cut-out to the backplate; both of these features are due to current movement being an earlier example. Tompion's work is characterised by an exceptional approach to the finishing of his movements; the present lot does not disappoint with finely cut graded wheelwork and superb shaping to the steelwork most notably to the hammer spring tail, bell stand foot and barrel click springs.
Although the case is not original to the movement and dial it is 'of the period' and a comfortable match benefitting from not having a lenticle (Tompion's preference) and pleasing detailing on the panelling of the veneers. Indeed, the case fulfils the list of criteria listed by Evans, Carter and Wright, with regards to features expected in a 'Type 1', case on page 197.