First period "potato head" lantern clock with half-hour strike
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
first half of the 17th century
This unsigned brass lantern clock dates to the first half of the 17th century and features a dial associated with London's First Period production. The narrow chapter ring displays slender Roman numerals, fleur-de-lys half-hour markers, and an inner quarter-hour track framing an engraved dial centre with six flowerheads, including a human face beneath XII known as a 'potato head'.
The brass frame incorporates turned Doric corner columns surmounted by squat urn finials on inverted acorn feet. According to the source, the striking train features an unusual passing strike on the half hour alongside a full hour strike.
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
- Lantern clock
- Height
- 32 cm (12.5 in)
- Dial motif
- Six flowerheads with a 'potato head' face below XII
- Escapement
- Pendulum-driven verge escapement (converted from original balance wheel)
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Strike mechanism
- Passing half-hour strike and full hour strike
Design
- Visible features
- • Open brass lantern frame supported by four turned Doric columns on inverted acorn feet. • Four squat urn finials at the upper corners and top-mounted strike hammer arm assembly. • Engraved brass dial plate with a single central hand and floral corner spandrels.
- Mechanical Features
- The clock includes an atypical passing strike on the half hour via a small hammer and a full strike on the hour via a larger hammer. These are activated by a twelve-point star wheel on the back of the hour wheel. The large return spring for the half-hour hammer is secured by a foot that is friction-fitted and hammered into the front bar. This front bar is noted for having an increased width around the great wheel pivot point, a practice associated with Ahasuerus Fromanteel.
- Physical Description
- This unsigned brass lantern clock is constructed with an open frame supported by four turned Doric columns resting on inverted acorn feet. The upper section features four squat urn finials and a top-mounted strike hammer arm assembly. The engraved brass dial plate includes a single central hand and floral corner spandrels. The dial comprises a narrow chapter ring with a single line border, slender Roman numerals, fleur-de-lys half-hour markers, and an inner quarter-hour track. The center is engraved with six flowerheads, with the uppermost flowerhead depicting a human face referred to as a 'potato head'.
- Condition and Alterations
- The movement has been modified from its original balance wheel escapement to a pendulum-driven verge escapement, with evidence of the original configuration remaining visible on the top plate. The item lacks several original components, including the bell, bell strap, frets, doors, pendulum, weights, and alarm work.
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 bell, bell strap, frets, doors, pendulum, weights, alarm-disc, and alarm work are documented as lacking.
- Research required: The movement has been altered from its original balance wheel escapement to a pendulum-driven verge escapement.