Beschreibung:

A FINE AND RARE FRENCH MULTI-COLOURED 'CASTLE' CARRIAGE CLOCK WITH PAINTED PORCELAIN PANELS PROBABLY BY JULES BRUNELOT, PARIS, FOR RETAIL BY COLLINS, BRIGHTON, CIRCA 1885 The eight-day two train gong striking movement with later platform lever escapement regulated by sprung bimetallic balance, the backplate stamped with serial number 1317 followed by a circled B to the lower left hand corner, the rectangular painted porcelain dial inscribed COLLINS, BRIGHTON to centre within Gothic Roman numeral chapter ring, with gilt hands beneath dressed stone arch to upper border and with view of figures conversing on steps between a pair of castles to lower margin, the case with shaped arched hinged satin-gilt carrying handle over graphite finished tiled hopped roof incorporating dormers to sides, gilt 'murder-hole' frieze and canted copper skirting, the angles formed as towers decorated with multicoloured bonded courses capped with tiled conical graphite spires, the sides inset with porcelain panels painted with 16th style tavern scenes and the rear with hinged gilt panel door, on stepped copper-banded shallow plinth base with canted gilt skirt. 20.5cm (8.125ins) high with handle down, 11cm (4.25ins) wide, 10cm (4ins) deep. Provenance: Private collection, East Midlands. The trademark stamped to the lower left-hand corner of the backplate of the current lot (letter B within a circle) is noted in Allix, Charles and Bonnert, Peter CARRIAGE CLOCKS, Their history and development as possibly being for Jules Brunelot although no evidence has been found to confirm this. Collins of Brighton do not appear to be recorded in the usual sources however it is most likely that they were retailers of Jewellery, silverware, watches and clocks. The romanticised Gothic castle design of the case of the current lot is both particularly rare and pleasing. The multicolour finish of the case with differing details picked-out in silver, copper and graphite (in addition to the gilding) adds to the strong visual qualities of the case, as do the porcelain panels with their post Medieval genre scenes. Indeed other examples of this design do not appear in both Allix and Roberts although a much simpler undecorated variant (with less complex superstructure) was offered at Christie's South Kensington sale of The Dr, Eugene and Rose Antelis Collection of Important French Carriage Clocks Thursday 26th November 1998 (lot 174).