George III mahogany eight-day longcase clock with moonphase, James De Lasalle
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1775
According to the auction catalogue, this George III longcase clock features an eight-day movement with five pillars, two trains, rack and bell striking, an anchor escapement, and a seconds pendulum.
Its 12-inch brass break-arch dial incorporates a matted centre, calendar aperture, silvered subsidiary seconds ring, rococo spandrels, and an arch rolling moonphase inscribed with 'Ja's De Lasalle, London'. The flame-figured mahogany case features a concave-sided pagoda hood, brass stop-fluted columns, an arched trunk door, and a plinth base with a raised shaped panel.
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
- Dial Size
- 12 inch
- Dimensions
- 243cm high, 53cm wide, 26cm deep
- Escapement
- Anchor escapement
- Dial Signature
- Ja's De Lasalle, London
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker / attribution
- James De Lasalle
Design
- Visible features
- • Arched hood features a pagoda top with foliate fret insert and flanking fluted brass-accented columns • Rolling moonphase disc shows a painted lunar face, stars, and scale above terrestrial hemispheres • Long trunk door and lower base exhibit flame mahogany grain
- Case Construction
- The mahogany case features a concave-sided 'pagoda' superstructure with a shaped foliate pierced fret, a cavetto cornice, and brass stop-fluted columns flanking the glazed dial aperture. The sides include rectangular windows and quarter columns. The trunk door is veneered in flame mahogany and framed by complex moldings and further brass stop-fluted quarter columns. The plinth base has a concave top molding, a raised shaped panel, and a molded double skirt. Condition reporting notes that the lower skirt and its shaped apron are a restoration or replacement, and the hood top contains three empty socket holes where finials are missing. A stable crack is noted on the rear left-hand carcass edge.
- Dial and Mechanism
- The clock houses a five-pillar, two-train movement featuring a rack and bell striking mechanism, regulated by a seconds pendulum and an anchor escapement. The 12-inch brass break-arch dial includes a matted center, a calendar aperture, and a recessed bright-cut bordered silvered subsidiary seconds dial. It features an applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with Arabic five-minute markers. The arch displays a rolling moonphase with an engraved age-of-the-moon scale, lunar disc, and lunettes featuring a sunburst mask and terrestrial globes. The dial is signed 'Ja's De Lasalle, London' along the upper margin. Observations note witness marks from calendar ring pulleys, a detent pivot in the matting, and a filled pin-prick hole above the calendar aperture.
- Provenance and Attribution
- James De Lasalle is recorded in F.J. Britten's 'Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers' as working from Brookers Row, Moorfields in 1780, and later at 42 St. Catherine's, Tower Hill between 1800 and 1818. Specialist assessment suggests the movement and dial are original to the case, as they rest on an seatboard mounted directly onto the cheek uprights.
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: Source notes the lower skirt with shaped apron is a restoration/replacement
- Research required: Source condition report notes three empty socket holes on the hood top for missing finials
- Research required: Movement interior is not visible in the provided exterior photographs