A William and Mary Brass Lantern Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1690
Dating to circa 1690 during the William and Mary period, this unsigned brass lantern clock is attributed to London. The posted movement features countwheel bell striking and Huygens' endless chain winding, with evidence of an early-to-mid 18th-century conversion from a short centre-swinging pendulum to an anchor escapement for a long rear-swinging pendulum.
The front dial has an applied 6.25-inch Roman numeral chapter ring centered by engraved tulip sprays, wheatear half-hour markers, and a pierced iron hand. Constructed in a standard London third-period frame, it is supported by ball-turned feet below column-turned corner posts and topped with vase finials, a pierced dolphin fret, and a domed 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
- Date
- CIRCA 1690
- Type
- Lantern clock
- Dimensions
- 33.5cm high, 16cm wide, 17cm deep
- Frame features
- Standard London third period frame with dolphin front fret
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker attribution
- UNSIGNED, LONDON
- Escapement and striking
- Posted countwheel bell striking movement converted to anchor escapement
Design
- Visible features
- • Surmounted by a large dome-shaped bell secured by crossed arched straps • Applied chapter ring marked with Roman numerals and wheatear half-hour indices • Single pierced iron hand situated over an engraved brass dial center • Supported by four turned brass ball feet below corner columns
- Dial and Ornamentation
- The clock face features a 6.25-inch applied Roman numeral chapter ring with stylised wheatear half-hour markers. The dial centre is decorated with a concentric band of stylised leafy tulip sprays emerging from a three-petal flowerhead located above the six o'clock position. The dial incorporates scroll-pierced iron hands and engraved leafy infill in the angles. The dial was originally designed with an alarm disc, though this feature was dispensed with during a subsequent conversion of the clock.
- Frame and Construction
- The clock is built upon a standard London third-period frame featuring column-turned corner posts and ball-turned feet. The top is surmounted by a domed bell bearer and includes an iron hanging hoop on the rear edge of the top plate. The front is decorated with a dolphin-inhabited, foliate-pierced and engraved fret. Current observations note that the brass side panels are later replacements secured by pins, the rear plate is a replacement, the rear right-hand leg of the bell bearer is missing, the top finial is truncated, and the original side frets are missing.
- Mechanism and Conversion
- The clock contains a posted countwheel bell-striking movement with Huygens' endless chain winding. It features space between the trains originally intended for a centre-swinging pendulum. The mechanism was later converted to an anchor escapement for a long rear-swinging pendulum, a process estimated to have occurred in the early to mid-18th century. Evidence of this conversion includes repinioning of the wheel trains and spare holes on the top plate left by the original verge escapement.
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: The clock lacks its pendulum, weight, and original side frets as reported by the source.
- Research required: The source reports the single hand, brass side panels, and rear plate are replacements, and the original alarm mechanism was removed.
- Research required: The rear right-hand leg of the bell bearer is missing and the top finial has been cut off.