Longcase clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1660
This longcase clock was made in London around 1660 and is attributed to Ahasuerus Fromanteel. The clock case is constructed from oak veneered with ebony and stained hardwood, and it features gilt-bronze mounts. Its lift-up hood is glazed on three sides and flanked at the corners by attached Corinthian columns fitted with gilt-bronze capitals and bases. These columns support an architectural pediment ornamented with a gilt-bronze cartouche and laurel swags, while acorn finials are located beneath the front columns.
The clock's pendulum measures 7 inches in length, and the clock is accompanied by one key and two lead weights encased in brass, each marked 5.2 kg. The overall case measures 189.3 cm in height, 31.8 cm in width, and 19.8 cm in depth, with a base height of 27 cm. The acorn finials beneath the hood suggest that the clock may have originally been intended as a wall-hanging clock before being adapted into a longcase form.
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
Ahasuerus Fromanteel introduced the pendulum mechanism to British clockmaking after learning of the technology through his son John, who worked in The Hague with Salomon Coster between 1657 and 1658. In late 1658, Fromanteel advertised his breakthrough pendulum clocks in London publications, noting their superior timekeeping over weather variations. Prior to entering museum ownership via a gift from Brigadier W. E. Clark through the National Art-Collections Fund, the clock belonged to a Jersey family who brought it to South Africa and back before selling it.
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
- Longcase clock
- Museum object number
- W.10:1 to 6-1963
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.