An American mahogany longcase regulator by Seth Thomas with a…
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An American mahogany longcase regulator by Seth Thomas with a linked music disc player below, Seth Thomas clock Company & Regina music box Company/ Polython USA, circa 1895, in this superb original American case, the two makers cooperated to make a masterpiece with a regulator clock with maintaining power and weight lines skilfully riding on several pullies to give eight days arunning for a very short drop for both weights, time and strike, with beautiful original spandrels, Arabic numerals on a fine lacquered dial plate in its superb original case with the Regina music box Company polython 17 inch disc player all visible through the glass fronted doors in the lower compartment, the clock presents splendidly. Height 250 cm .
mahogany. Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.
Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.
spandrel. An architectural term that in horology refers to the triangular ornamental decoration in the corners of of the dial plate. The spandrels are usually of cast brass and may be additonally chased and engraved. On painted dial clocks the spandrels are also usually painted.
lacquer. Lacquer work originated in the Far East, principally China and Japan, and was most widely used in that part of the world. It consists of several layers of the resin from the "Chinese lacquer tree", Rhus vernicifera, which gows in China and Japan. Once the resin has been processed and air dried, it forms a hard smooth and almost impermeable surface. Once applied by a brush to a wood or composition base in very thin layers, the surface is then decorated and inlaid with different materials.
Chinese lacquer was first imported into Europe around 1600 and became popular in England, France, the Netherlands, and Spain. Its popularity was such, that it was imitated by the Europeans, who used a technique known as "Japanning". The "oriental" scenes onsome European lacquer work is naïve, and the quality is not as high as on the original.
The words "lacquered finish" may also refer to a finish comprising polymers dissolved in compounds such as nitrocellulose applied to a modern product, usually by spraying, The modern chemical based lacquers are much more durable than those of past years.
circa. A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
The buyers premium is an additional percentage charge on the hammer price of the item, imposed by the auction house to cover administrative costs. The buyers premium percentage varies between auction houses, with a range of 12.5% to 22%.
