Beschreibung:

A CHARLES II MINIATURE BRASS LANTERN TIMEPIECE WITH ALARM SIGNED FOR JOHN KNIBB, OXFORD, CIRCA 1680 The going train with verge escapement regulated by short bob pendulum swinging outside of the frame to the rear and motionwork for two hands, the rear with alarm mechanism incorporating verge crown wheel driving vertically pivoted yoke-shaped hammer fitted to the backplate and sounding on the inside of the bell mounted above, the dial with rose-decorated alarm disc within a band of engraved scrolling flowering foliage issuing from a three-petal bloom to the lower margin to centre, within applied Roman numeral chapter ring with squat fleur-de-lys half hour markers and punched dot minute marks to outer track, the frame with one-piece corner castings formed as Doric columns beneath vase finials with collar-turned shoulders, the front and sides applied with symmetrical pierced cast and engraved brass dolphin pattern frets with the front incorporating inscription John Knibb to the lower margin, beneath domed bell bearer capped with a conforming vase finial, with brass side doors, twin iron hanging hoops and spurs to rear, on integral ball-shaped feet, (with probable restoration). 23cm (9ins) high, 9cm (3ins) deep, 10.5cm (4.5ins) deep. John Knibb was born in 1650 and was apprenticed to his older brother, Joseph, in around 1664. When Joseph moved to London in 1670 to set up business (presumably in the workshop inherited from his uncle, Samuel) John took on the Oxford workshop gaining the Freedom of the city on payment of a fine in 1673. Joseph Knibb retired in 1697 selling up most of his workshop before moving to Hanslop, Buckinghamshire where he made a few clocks prior to his death in 1711. John Knibb became a high profile figure within the City of Oxford twice becoming Mayor, he continued in business until his death in 1722. Due to the comparative rarity of clocks signed by John Knibb it has been suggested that his workshop may have generally served to supply Joseph's larger concern in London. The strong similarities between John's best work and those signed by Joseph would certainly support this view. However it is also clear that John was a high profile tradesman in the City of Oxford who trained no less than ten apprentices, therefore it is perhaps more likely that, although the two workshops were closely connected, they generally worked separately to supply clocks to differing groups of clients. The present lot would appear to conform with the earlier group of miniature lantern clocks produced both during Joseph's time in Oxford (up to around 1671) and subsequently by John Knibb. These clocks are generally characterised by their one-piece corner castings incorporating well-detailed vase finials decorated with a distinctive incised band just beneath the shoulder. Latterly (perhaps from around 1680) the Knibb workshops generally adopted different castings which incorporated simple small concave sided projections for the finials and button feet. Several examples with the 'earlier' type of frame are illustrated in White, George English Lantern Clocks on pages 257-58 (Figures V/108-11) and again in detail on page 261 (Figure V122), whilst an example of the later type is featured on the front cover of Hana, W.F.J. English Lantern Clocks. Although the current timepiece appears to utilise the earlier type of castings they have perhaps been more tightly turned/finished a little less generously than usual. In conjunction with the vase finial frame castings the Knibb workshops invariably used dolphin pattern frets which are described by George White as a being 'wafer thin' and, more often than not, carried the signature along the lower border. The frets on the current lot can certainly be described as thin, delicate castings. The engraving to the dial centre is very close to that of the later-type frame example illustrated by Hana, however the squat fleur-de-lys half-hour markers appear identical to those on a clock, this time with the ear