Lantern clock by John Smorthwait
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1730
This lantern clock, documented by Sotheby's as by John Smorthwait of Colchester circa 1730, measures 37 cm (14½ inches) in height. The brass construction features slender turned corner columns, turned feet, urn finials, and pierced dolphin frets below an arched bell strap holding a top-mounted bell.
The 6½-inch dial has a silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals and lozenge half-hour marks around an engraved foliate centre, fitted with a single replaced hand. Sotheby's reports a reverse signature on the dial plate and describes a posted rope- and weight-driven movement equipped with an anchor escapement, an outside countwheel, and rear iron hanging loop with wall spikes.
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
- Dimensions
- 37 cm (14½ in.) high
- Dial features
- 6½-inch dial with lozenge half-hour marks, replaced single hand, and foliate engraved centre
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker and origin
- John Smorthwait, Colchester, circa 1730
- Frame and mounting
- Turned corner columns, turned feet, urn finials, dolphin frets, iron hanging loop and wall spikes
- Maker / attribution
- John Smorthwait
- Movement description
- Posted rope- and weight-driven movement with anchor escapement and outside countwheel
Design
- Visible features
- • Circular silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals and lozenge half-hour divisions extending past the pillar frame • Engraved gilt-brass dial centre with a single pierced black hand • Turned brass corner columns mounted on turned ball or peg feet and surmounted by finials • Pierced fretwork below a domed bell supported by arched straps and topped with a finial
- Identity and Attribution
- Sotheby's catalogues this lantern clock as the work of John Smorthwait, Colchester, dating it to circa 1730. The piece is recorded with an overall height of 37 cm (14½ inches). The cataloguing notes that the reverse of the dial bears a repeat signature, described as 'probably for practise'.
- Frame and Visible Case Architecture
- The frame is described in the source as having slender turned corner columns, turned feet, urn finials, and dolphin frets. Frontal observation confirms the turned brass columns on turned feet, finials, and pierced fretwork beneath a top-mounted bell supported by arched straps. The rear of the clock is recorded as having an iron hanging loop and wall spikes, though these mounting elements are not visible in the front photograph.
- Dial Configuration and Mechanism Reports
- The cataloguing specifies a 6½-inch dial featuring lozenge half-hour marks, an engraved foliate centre, and a single hand noted as replaced. Visual inspection shows a circular silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals and lozenge divisions extending beyond the pillar frame, surrounding the engraved gilt-brass centre with a pierced black hand. Internally, Sotheby's records a posted rope- and weight-driven movement equipped with an anchor escapement, an outside countwheel, and a top-mounted bell. These internal mechanical components cannot be verified directly from the exterior frontal 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: Movement details, rope-and-weight drive, escapement, and outside countwheel are not visible in the front photo
- Research required: The source notes that the single hand is replaced
- Research required: Rear iron hanging loop, wall spikes, and reverse practice signature cannot be confirmed from the front image