Object Record
Images
Additional Images [1]
Metadata
Object Name |
Clock, Tall Case |
Catalog Number |
2000.28.1 |
Collection |
Timepiece |
Other Name |
Tallcase clock |
Date |
c. 1677 |
Description |
A thirty day brass time, hour strike and pull repeat movement signed by Thomas Tompion. The dial has a silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes. The center of the dial is matted. Winged cherubs-head spandrels in the four corners. Signed Thomas Tompion, Londini, fecit, below the chapter ring. The case has olive wood oyster veneer with foliate marquetry and star parquety . Flat top (crest missing) rising hood, modified to slide forward) without sound frets, with twisted ebony barley turned columns on plain turned capitals and bases and glass panels in either side, framed with ebonized moulding. Convex moulding beneath the hood wiith ebony mouldings above and below. Trunk cross-banded, the door with beaded ebony moulding, oval glass bulls-eye lenticle, with inlaid decorations above and below. Above the lenticle an oval panel with a vase of seven flowers,(two which appear to be either bone or ivory . with bone or ivory leaves stained green), above and below which are round spiral whorls. Below the lenticle is an inlaid 8-ray star of ebony and holly or box, alternate rays being straight and wavy. The plinth with a cross banded border contains a matching 8-ray star. The clock rests on ebonized bun feet. 6-pillar, latched, unusual movement having the combination, unique amongst Tompion's output, of count-wheel striking and rack-and-snail pull quarter -repeat. Clock apparently without maintaining-power, pallets and escape wheel of thin constrution and may be original; count wheel striking train on right (facing clock), sounds of large bell, pll quarter repeat in upper left-hand corner, the front plate cut away to accomodate the repeat-arm assembly powered by blade spring screwed to inside of back plate-lower left-hand corner; repeat shared the four bell and sounds quarters on a smaller bell, both bell-standards screwed to rear of back plate. Clock winds counter clockwise. . |
Maker |
Thomas Tompion |
Material |
Wood, glass, brass, lead, ivory, cotton |
Place of Origin |
London, England, United Kingdom |
Notes |
Accessioned |