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Auction archive: Lot number 173

A fine William III brass mounted ebony table clock Langley Bradley, London, circa …

Auction 04.09.2013
4 Sep 2013
Estimate
£8,000 - £12,000
ca. US$12,686 - US$19,030
Price realised:
£10,000
ca. US$15,858
Auction archive: Lot number 173

A fine William III brass mounted ebony table clock Langley Bradley, London, circa …

Auction 04.09.2013
4 Sep 2013
Estimate
£8,000 - £12,000
ca. US$12,686 - US$19,030
Price realised:
£10,000
ca. US$15,858
Beschreibung:

A fine William III brass mounted ebony table clock Langley Bradley, London, circa 1700 The five finned pillar movement with verge escapement, pull-quarter repeat on a nest of six graduated bells and striking the hour on a further larger bell, the backplate signed Langley Bradley, LONDON within fine leafy scroll bordered cartouche to the symmetrical foliate scroll engraved backplate with herringbone border, the 7 inch square brass dial with canted herringbone border-engraved shaped false bob and calendar apertures to the finely matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with sword hilt half hour markers, Arabic five minutes to outer track and signed L: Bradley, London to lower margin, with delicate pierced steel hands and winged cherub head cast spandrels to angles within herringbone engraved outer border incorporating S/N switch at twelve o'clock, the case with elaborate repousse double basket top surmount with fine twin cherub cast handle to the profile mask medallion scroll centred pierced upper tier flanked by small urn finials, the lower tier with relief panel of St. George slaying the dragon flanked by figural military trophies within a conforming cherub and scroll decorated field and flanked by unusual gilt urn finials with tall baluster spires, the front with unusual projecting scroll cast mounts incorporating putti holding hour-glasses and grotesque masks, the sides with rectangular glazed apertures overlaid with scroll pierced repousse panels with geometric panel bordered open centres, the rear with door matching the front set within the frame of the case flanked by conforming mounts to angles, on complex moulded shallow skirt base with fine scroll cast gilt brass feet, 44cm (17.35ins) high excluding handle. Provenance: The property of a private collector. Exhibited at The Luton Museum and Art Gallery Loan Exhibition of Art Treasures July to August 1949 (exhibit 120), subsequently with Biggs of Maidenhead and illustrated in their advert in ANTIQUARIAN HOROLOGY number 2 Volume 3, March 1960 (to rear cover). Langley Bradley is recorded in Loomes, Brian The Early CLOCKMAKERS of Great Britain as born circa 1663, apprenticed in February 1687/88 to Joseph Wise and freed 1694. He worked at the Minute Dial in Fenchurch Street and was appointed Assistant of the Clockmakers' Company in 1720 and served as Master in 1726. By 1748 he had moved to Mile End. Langley Bradley is perhaps best known as a turret clock maker who was commissioned by Sir Christopher Wren to supply the clock for St. Paul's Cathedral in 1707. The clock he supplied, complete with quarter jacks, was openly criticised for being costly and unreliable, although there was probably some truth behind these comments it seems that the resultant dispute may have been politically motivated. Indeed a Government commission was set up under the Chairmanship of Sir Isaac Newton which eventually resulted in the clock being replaced by one made by William Wright and Richard Street; the latter being a fine maker with connections to Tompion who was known to have supplied clocks for Sir Isaac Newton (see lot 177). Despite this embarrassment Sir Christopher Wren attempted to influence the Crown's potential appointment of Langley Bradley as official clockmaker to Queen Anne, describing him as 'a very able artist, very reasonable in his prices' in his correspondence to the Lord High Chamberlain in 1711. Unfortunately for Bradley the Lord Chamberlain's response indicated that under such circumstances a Royal Warrant could not be granted via the Office of Works. Wren clearly thought well of Langley Bradley as he persevered to facilitate the commission for a new clock at Hampton Court to be undertaken by Bradley. The current lot was clearly made to impress and was a product catering for the new fashion for elaboration made popular by the Williamite Court at the turn of the 18th century. Although double-basket top clocks do survive they are relatively scarce, perha

Auction archive: Lot number 173
Auction:
Datum:
4 Sep 2013
Auction house:
Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions
16-17 Pall Mall
St James’s
London, SW1Y 5LU
United Kingdom
info@dreweatts.com
+44 (0)20 78398880
Beschreibung:

A fine William III brass mounted ebony table clock Langley Bradley, London, circa 1700 The five finned pillar movement with verge escapement, pull-quarter repeat on a nest of six graduated bells and striking the hour on a further larger bell, the backplate signed Langley Bradley, LONDON within fine leafy scroll bordered cartouche to the symmetrical foliate scroll engraved backplate with herringbone border, the 7 inch square brass dial with canted herringbone border-engraved shaped false bob and calendar apertures to the finely matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with sword hilt half hour markers, Arabic five minutes to outer track and signed L: Bradley, London to lower margin, with delicate pierced steel hands and winged cherub head cast spandrels to angles within herringbone engraved outer border incorporating S/N switch at twelve o'clock, the case with elaborate repousse double basket top surmount with fine twin cherub cast handle to the profile mask medallion scroll centred pierced upper tier flanked by small urn finials, the lower tier with relief panel of St. George slaying the dragon flanked by figural military trophies within a conforming cherub and scroll decorated field and flanked by unusual gilt urn finials with tall baluster spires, the front with unusual projecting scroll cast mounts incorporating putti holding hour-glasses and grotesque masks, the sides with rectangular glazed apertures overlaid with scroll pierced repousse panels with geometric panel bordered open centres, the rear with door matching the front set within the frame of the case flanked by conforming mounts to angles, on complex moulded shallow skirt base with fine scroll cast gilt brass feet, 44cm (17.35ins) high excluding handle. Provenance: The property of a private collector. Exhibited at The Luton Museum and Art Gallery Loan Exhibition of Art Treasures July to August 1949 (exhibit 120), subsequently with Biggs of Maidenhead and illustrated in their advert in ANTIQUARIAN HOROLOGY number 2 Volume 3, March 1960 (to rear cover). Langley Bradley is recorded in Loomes, Brian The Early CLOCKMAKERS of Great Britain as born circa 1663, apprenticed in February 1687/88 to Joseph Wise and freed 1694. He worked at the Minute Dial in Fenchurch Street and was appointed Assistant of the Clockmakers' Company in 1720 and served as Master in 1726. By 1748 he had moved to Mile End. Langley Bradley is perhaps best known as a turret clock maker who was commissioned by Sir Christopher Wren to supply the clock for St. Paul's Cathedral in 1707. The clock he supplied, complete with quarter jacks, was openly criticised for being costly and unreliable, although there was probably some truth behind these comments it seems that the resultant dispute may have been politically motivated. Indeed a Government commission was set up under the Chairmanship of Sir Isaac Newton which eventually resulted in the clock being replaced by one made by William Wright and Richard Street; the latter being a fine maker with connections to Tompion who was known to have supplied clocks for Sir Isaac Newton (see lot 177). Despite this embarrassment Sir Christopher Wren attempted to influence the Crown's potential appointment of Langley Bradley as official clockmaker to Queen Anne, describing him as 'a very able artist, very reasonable in his prices' in his correspondence to the Lord High Chamberlain in 1711. Unfortunately for Bradley the Lord Chamberlain's response indicated that under such circumstances a Royal Warrant could not be granted via the Office of Works. Wren clearly thought well of Langley Bradley as he persevered to facilitate the commission for a new clock at Hampton Court to be undertaken by Bradley. The current lot was clearly made to impress and was a product catering for the new fashion for elaboration made popular by the Williamite Court at the turn of the 18th century. Although double-basket top clocks do survive they are relatively scarce, perha

Auction archive: Lot number 173
Auction:
Datum:
4 Sep 2013
Auction house:
Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions
16-17 Pall Mall
St James’s
London, SW1Y 5LU
United Kingdom
info@dreweatts.com
+44 (0)20 78398880
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