Stock No.

Exhibit No. 3

Height

3½ inches (88 mm)

Case

The later 43 inches (118 mm) square brass case of multi-piece lead-soldered construction with some traces of gilding. Each brass-sheet side is mitred to the outside corners, with interior angle-supports to hold them, and engraved open flower and foliate decoration towards the mitres, leaving blank the central part on each of the four sides. The step-moulded top has a square aperture into which the movement snugly fits with the dial resting atop, soldered to adjoin the four sides, and is reflected in a step-moulded base below that has a similar aperture with four turned-neck ball feet to each corner.

Dial

The 4 inch (100 mm) square brass dial with winged cherubs heads engraved to the corners, the applied silvered chapter ring with internal quarter division ring, Roman hours and stylised fleur-de-lys half-hour marks between. The rotating central silvered alarm disc engraved with a Tudor rose surrounded by flower heads, with outer Arabic alarm hours engraved anti-clockwise. The riveted steel pointer in the place of 12 indicates time against the chapter ring, while the alarm is set by rotating the head of the tulip-shaped central alarm hand on the alarm disc.

Movement

The square plates held by four Egyptian pillars all with traces of the original gilding. The going train has a fusee and large flanged barrel, verge escapement with brass crown and contrate wheels, the screw-fixed pierced and engraved balance cock holding the two-arm steel balance. The backplate retains traces of the original gilding and is signed Ahasuerus Fromanteel Londini securing to the case with three brass turn-catches. The alarm driven by a fixed spring-barrel with steel contrate and crown wheels to a cocked verge arbor with hammer, sounding on the bell below. The underside of the movement has a separate screw-fixed hinged door assembly, with a circular aperture and spider bell-stand.

Duration

30 hour

Provenance

Private collection UK, until sold in 2015 for £60,000;
John C Taylor Collection, inventory no.171

Literature

Garnier & Hollis, Innovation & Collaboration, 2018, p.137

Escapement

Verge with plain steel balance and screwed floral cock