95th Auction
2017/5/6
Lot 361
William Rich, London, Movement No. 32, Height 380 mm, circa 1760
A splendid small George III red tortoiseshell veneer pendulum clock with half hour/hour strike and carillon with four different tunes activating on the hour, produced for the Ottoman market
Case: oak/tortoiseshell/ormolu mountings/glass. Dial: enamel/silver/champlevé enamel. Movm.: rectangular brass full plate movement, 3 barrels, 3 x gut/fusee, 1 hammer/1 bell for half hour/hour strike, rack strike, verge escapement, short pendulum with knife edge suspension. Muscial movement: Released automatically on the hour by the clock followed by the hour strike, pin barrel, 12 hammers / 8 bells.
The lightly curved oak body with red tortoise shell veneer has a rounded top and sits on four bronze bun feet in the form of paws; the paws merge into beautiful acanthus fittings on each corner. The edges and the sides (which are open-work for better sound) have been decorated with rococo-style strips and grilles. The glazed doors on front and back are decorated with rocaille fittings. The removable pediment is domed and elaborately ornamented and has a gilt pine cone on its top. The dial sits against an intricately finished background with a solid silver plate with floral engraving and translucent cobalt blue and green Champlevé flowers and leaves. The white enamel dial in the lower part shows Ottoman hours and minutes and is signed "W. Rich, London"; the hands are gilt and lavishly ornamented. The striking mechanism is released and stopped with a small dial and hand in the upper half ("Chime" - "Not Chime"). A second auxiliary dial selects one of four tunes: "Minuet" - "Air" - "Jig" - "March".
The rectangular full plate movement is allover lavishly engraved with scrolls and flowers. The carillon has eight bells and 12 hammers; the release mechanism sits on the front plate and strikes at the hour. The mechanism operates an adjustable cam disk which releases the hour strike after the tune with an under-dial work.
In his book Buch Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World Brian Loomes mentions that case maker William Rich I lived at Great Wild Street from 1727 to 1777.
A splendid small George III red tortoiseshell veneer pendulum clock with half hour/hour strike and carillon with four different tunes activating on the hour, produced for the Ottoman market
Case: oak/tortoiseshell/ormolu mountings/glass. Dial: enamel/silver/champlevé enamel. Movm.: rectangular brass full plate movement, 3 barrels, 3 x gut/fusee, 1 hammer/1 bell for half hour/hour strike, rack strike, verge escapement, short pendulum with knife edge suspension. Muscial movement: Released automatically on the hour by the clock followed by the hour strike, pin barrel, 12 hammers / 8 bells.
The lightly curved oak body with red tortoise shell veneer has a rounded top and sits on four bronze bun feet in the form of paws; the paws merge into beautiful acanthus fittings on each corner. The edges and the sides (which are open-work for better sound) have been decorated with rococo-style strips and grilles. The glazed doors on front and back are decorated with rocaille fittings. The removable pediment is domed and elaborately ornamented and has a gilt pine cone on its top. The dial sits against an intricately finished background with a solid silver plate with floral engraving and translucent cobalt blue and green Champlevé flowers and leaves. The white enamel dial in the lower part shows Ottoman hours and minutes and is signed "W. Rich, London"; the hands are gilt and lavishly ornamented. The striking mechanism is released and stopped with a small dial and hand in the upper half ("Chime" - "Not Chime"). A second auxiliary dial selects one of four tunes: "Minuet" - "Air" - "Jig" - "March".
The rectangular full plate movement is allover lavishly engraved with scrolls and flowers. The carillon has eight bells and 12 hammers; the release mechanism sits on the front plate and strikes at the hour. The mechanism operates an adjustable cam disk which releases the hour strike after the tune with an under-dial work.
In his book Buch Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World Brian Loomes mentions that case maker William Rich I lived at Great Wild Street from 1727 to 1777.
Sold
estimated
22.000—42.000 €
Price realized
24.800 €