Beschreibung:

A FINE JAMES II/CHARLES II WALNUT AND FLORAL MARQUETRY EIGHT-DAY LONGCASE CLOCK EDWARD EAST LONDON, CIRCA 1680-85 The six finned and latched pillar movement with tall plates measuring approximately 7.5 by 5 inches enclosing fine delicate wheel-work and square section strike detent arbors, the going train with bolt-and-shutter maintaining power and anchor escapement regulated by seconds pendulum, the strike train with external countwheel striking on a domed bell mounted above the plates, the 10.25 inch square gilt brass dial with slender subsidiary seconds dial and calendar aperture to the matted centre within applied narrow silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with stylised fleur-de-lys half hour markers and Arabic five minutes within the outer minute track, with pierced blued steel hands, winged cherub head cast spandrels to angles and engraved Edwardus East Londini to lower margin, in a case with architectural cross-grain ogee moulded cornice and plain frieze to lintel over glazed dial aperture flanked by opposing Solomonic twist three-quarter columns, the sides with rectangular windows and conforming quarter columns set against bargeboards at the rear, the slender trunk with convex walnut veneered throat moulding over 44 inch rectangular door centred with an oval lenticle and with two break-arch shaped marquetry panels decorated with bird inhabited floral sprays and scrolling foliage into an ebony ground within a figured walnut field, further incorporating conforming marquetry curved quadrant panels to corners and contained within an inset line border edged with half-round cross-grain mouldings, the sides veneered in figured walnut and boxwood lines delineating panels matching the shape of the marquetry panels to the front door, the base with stepped ogee top moulding and fronted with conforming rectangular marquetry panel decorated with floral blooms into an ebony ground over bun feet, (hood formerly rising now adapted to open at the front). 200.5cm (79ins) high; 45.5cm (17.75ins) wide, 25.5cm (10ins) deep at the cornice. Edward East was born in Southill Bedfordshire in 1602 and was apprenticed in 1618 to Richard Rogers until 1626, gaining his freedom of the Goldsmith's Company the following year. He was appointed as one of the first Assistants of the Clockmakers Company (a year after the charter was granted by Charles I in 1631) later becoming Master twice in 1645 and 1653. He worked first from Pall Mall, London subsequently moving to the Fleet Street/Temple Bar area by the 1640's, in November 1660 he was appointed chief clockmaker to King Charles II. Edward East certainly had the longest and perhaps one of the most distinguished careers in English clockmaking during the 'Golden Period' taking on eight apprentices between 1643 and 1676 (including Henry Jones from 1654 to 1663). East was the only original Assistant surviving when the Grant of Arms was awarded to the Clockmaker's Company in 1671. Edward East drafted his Will in 1688 and on his death in 1696 he was clearly a wealthy man leaving property to his four children including a residence in Hampton, Middlesex and a coaching Inn called 'The Swan with Two Necks' which was bequeathed to his daughter, Anne Saunders. The movement of the current lot has tall plates and square section strike detents, both of these features are deemed indicative of the East school of clockmaking. The 'tulip' shaped cut-out for the escapement pallet arbor (positioned at the top edge of the backplate) is also a detail occasionally seen in his movements including a walnut-cased example which was sold at Christies, London 550 Years: Decorative Arts Europe 27th May 2010 (lot 48) for £55,250. The case of the present clock is again notable in having particularly slender proportions with a long door of 44 inches occupying the full width of the front aperture (ie. is set within the side panels of the case with no additional framing). The marquetry panels are also framed by a line-edged border adding