Lantern clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1650
This lantern-shaped alarm clock is crafted from engraved silver and rests on four ball feet. Its front plate is engraved with floral motifs, including pinks, tulips, lilies, and other blooms. Positioned at the top is an openwork gallery surmounted by pierced floral crestings and decorative corner vases flanking a domed bell. The dial plate features a chapter ring inscribed with black Roman numerals, an alarm disc with Arabic numerals, and silver side doors. It bears the engraved inscription 'D Bouquet A Londres' on the dial.
Made circa 1650 in London by David Bouquet, the Baroque-style clock measures 20.1 cm in height, 9.4 cm in width, and 8.6 cm in depth. The dial plate, chapter ring, alarm disc, side doors, and pierced gallery are entirely formed from silver, while the gong and finial represent later restorations.
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.
Historical context
Lantern clocks first emerged in England during the 1620s, based on continental weight-driven iron designs. While typically constructed with brass cases, this example is noted as the only known surviving lantern clock of its period housed in a silver case, indicating a luxury commission for a wealthy patron. The maker, David Bouquet, was a French Huguenot immigrant clockmaker admitted to London's Blacksmiths' Company in 1628 and a founding member of the Clockmakers' Company in 1632.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Engraved silver; the gong and finial are later restorations
- Dimensions
- Height: 20.1 cm; Width: 9.4 cm; Depth: 8.6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Inscriptions
- Date: Text: Research required; Latest: Research required; Earliest: Research required; Note: Research required; Type: Research required; Medium: Research required; Method: Research required; Script: Research required; Content: Inscribed: 'D Bouquet A Londres'; Language: Research required; Position: Research required; Inscriber: Name: Id: Research required; Text: Research required; Association: Id: Research required; Text: Research required; Description: Research required; Translation: Research required; Interpretation: Research required; Transliteration: Research required
- Maker recorded
- Bouquet, David
- Place recorded
- London
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Lantern clock
- Museum object number
- M.1139:1-1926
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.