An oak Gothic revival musical longcase clock and barometer, the…
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An oak Gothic revival musical longcase clock and barometer, the movement circa 1780, the case circa 1880, the turned four pillar three train eight-day movement with an anchor escapement, rack striking on a bell, playing tunes on eight bells with eight hammers via a pinned brass barrel, the brass dial-plate with silvered Roman numeral chapter ring, subsidiary dials for seconds with date in arch, the later case with a crocket adorned hood and spires above a lancet arch and quatrefoil tracery casement door inset with silvered barometer and thermometer, conforming pilasters and a plinth base. Height 232 cm .
oak. Native to Europe and England, oak has been used for joinery, furniture and building since the beginning of the medieval civilisation. It is a pale yellow in colour when freshly cut and darkens with age to a mid brown colour.
Oak as a furniture timber was superceded by walnut in the 17th century, and in the 18th century by mahogany,
Semi-fossilised bog oak is black in colour, and is found in peat bogs where the trees have fallen and been preserved from decay by the bog. It is used for jewellery and small carved trinkets.
Pollard oak is taken from an oak that has been regularly pollarded, that is the upper branches have been removed at the top of the trunk, result that new branches would appear, and over time the top would become ball-like. . When harvested and sawn, the timber displays a continuous surface of knotty circles. The timber was scarce and expensive and was used in more expensive pieces of furniture in the Regency and Victorian periods.
quatrefoil. A stylised four-circle design, itself contained within a larger circle, with Gothic origins and often seen as window designs in ecclesiastical architecture. The use of the motif was popular in Gothic Revival furniture of the 19th century.
Gothic. The Gothic style was the dominant style of ecclesiastical architecture from the middle and late medieval period, that is from the 12th to the 16th century. It is characterised by the pointed arch, elaborate ornament and delicate tracery. The furniture of the period closely followed the architecture. The Gothic style in furniture has been revived several times: in the 18th century when designers such as Chippendale incorporated Gothic themes into their designs and in the 19th century by the architect, designer and artist A. W. Pugin, whose career was at its peak when he designed the palace of Westminster, the present British Houses of Parliament in the Gothic Revival style.
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.
hood. In longcase clocks, the hood is the wooden case that surrounds the works and dial, and includes the glass front, which is usually hinged, so the door can be opened to wind the clock or adjust the time. In 18th and 19th century longcase clocks the hood usually slides forward for removal, allowing access to the works.
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%.
