A late 17th century walnut longcase clock, Joseph Windmills
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late 17th century
Attributed to Joseph Windmills of London, this late seventeenth-century English longcase clock stands two metres tall in a walnut case. The square-topped hood features a moulded cornice set above turned columns and concave throat moulding.
The long trunk door displays feather-banded decoration, D-moulded edges, and inlaid burr walnut panels surrounding a circular pendulum lenticle. The eleven-inch square brass dial includes cherub spandrels, foliate scroll engraving, a silvered chapter ring with cruciform half-hour markers, a subsidiary seconds dial, and a date aperture. According to the source, the internal mechanism incorporates five knopped and finned latched pillars with an anchor escapement striking on an inside countwheel bell.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Longcase clock
- Maker
- Joseph Windmills, London
- Height
- 2m (6ft 6.5ins)
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Case decoration
- Long trunk door with feather banded decoration and burr walnut panels centred by a lenticle
- Dial dimensions
- 11 inches square
- Movement pillars
- Five knopped and finned latched pillars
- Maker / attribution
- Joseph Windmills
- Escapement and striking
- Anchor escapement with inside countwheel striking on a bell
Design
- Visible features
- • Square-topped hood flanked by turned columns and topped with a moulded cornice. • Trunk door has a circular pendulum viewing lenticle in the lower half. • Square dial displays a silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals and matted centre.
- Dial Composition and Inscription
- The face is an 11-inch square brass dial decorated with corner cherub spandrels interspersed with engraved foliate scrolls. The silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring features fancy cruciform half-hour markers. The dial is signed between VII and V. It surrounds a matted dial centre fitted with ringed winding squares, a subsidiary seconds dial, and a circular date aperture.
- Case Architecture and Decorative Veneers
- Standing 2m (6ft 6.5ins) high, the clock case is executed in walnut. The hood features a square top and a moulded cornice set above turned 3/4 and 1/4 columns framing the dial door. Below a concave throat moulding, the long trunk door incorporates feather-banded decoration, a D-moulded edge, and shaped inlaid panels of burr walnut centred by a pendulum viewing lenticle. The trunk rests upon a cross-banded and panel-inlaid base.
- Reported Movement and Associated Elements
- According to the auction catalogue description, the movement is constructed with five knopped and finned latched pillars. It employs an anchor escapement and strikes on a bell via an inside countwheel mechanism. The clock is listed as accompanied by two period brass weights and a pendulum. These internal movement plates, pillars, and weights are reported by the source rather than verifiable from the external photograph.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Internal movement, weights, and pendulum are described in text but not visible in the provided photo.
- Research required: Exact manufacturing year is not specified beyond the late 17th century.