A late 18th century mahogany long case clock, the ?Boxed' swan…
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A late 18th century mahogany long case clock, the ?Boxed' swan neck pediment set with verre eglomise panels over freestanding reeded columns, the long trunk door with shaped top on a (reduced) panel base with recessed centre, the 14 inch arched brass dial with moon phase and age over a wide silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring, around an engraved centre with subsidiary dials for seconds and date, the movement with anchor escapement striking on a bell. Height 229 cm
verre églomisé. Verre églomisé is the process by which the reverse of glass is decorated with gold or silver foil, sometimes with the addition of painted decoration. The technique was popular in the early and mid 19th century, but its use dates back to pre-Roman times.
It was used as a decorative effect on mirrors, table tops and clocks.
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.
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%.
