Beschreibung:

A FINE GEORGE III MAHOGANY QUARTER CHIMING TABLE CLOCK IN THE MANNER OF HENRY HINDLEY JOHN AGAR, YORK, CIRCA 1770 The six distinctive double-baluster turned pillar triple fusee movement with rectangular plates measuring 8.5 by 7 inches enclosing greatwheels fitted to the narrow ends of the fusee cones, the going train with tic-tac anchor escapement incorporating offset pallets regulated by a half-seconds brass lenticular bob pendulum, the quarter train chiming the quarters on a graduated next of six bells and the strike train sounding the hour on a further larger bell, the backplate signed Jn'o Agar, YORK within a bold large rococo scroll engraved cartouche, the 7.5 inch arched brass dial plate applied with high-position silvered disc engraved with Roman numeral chapter ring and Arabic five minutes beyond the minute track, with scroll-pierced steel hands over rococo scroll cast spandrels to lower quadrants mirrored by another pair of castings bordering a further silvered arched plate incorporating STRIKE/SILENT selection to upper margin over pivoted steel hand and signature Jn'o Agar, YORK, in a solid mahogany bell-top case with hinged brass carrying handle and double-cavetto top mouldings over arched glazed dial aperture to the front door incorporating forty-five degree angles to the shut faces behind, the sides with arched scroll-pierced sound frets and the rear with rectangular shallow-arch glazed door set within the frame of the case, on ogee moulded skirt base with generous squab feet. 56cm 22ins high with handle down, 31cm (12.25ins) wide, 22.5cm (9ins) deep. John Agar (senior) is recorded in Loomes, Brian Yorkshire Clockmakers as born around 1730 and made Free in the City of York as a clockmaker in 1760. He lived at Castlegate until at least 1809 and died in 1815. His son, also called John, was apprenticed to his father in 1766 and made Free in 1782; he pre-deceased his father in 1814. The present clock exhibits strong similarities with the work of the celebrated York clockmaker Henry Hindley. In particular the distinctive design of the double baluster pillars, which follow those first used by Hindley in around 1742, and the fusees incorporating greatwheels positioned frontwards (against the narrow ends). The reason for this arrangement with the fusees is suggested by Rodney Law in his article HENRY HINDLEY OF YORK 1701-1771, PART II (published as an excerpt by The Antiquarian Horological Society) as devised to reduce the degree of friction at the larger front pivot which, with the standard arrangement, was most apparent after winding. Finally the escapement, incorporating offset pallets spanning a handful of teeth, is reminiscent of Hindley's deadbeat arrangement employed (mostly in conjunction with a half-seconds pendulum) in his table clocks, as drawn by Law in Figure 19. In addition to these direct similarities above, the current clock shares Hindley's high-quality standards with regards to finishing and eccentric approach to the dial layout. Indeed a clock by Hindley, incorporating the same configuration of high-position chapter ring over large arched strike/silent selection to the lower margin, is illustrated in Barder, C.R. The Georgian Bracket Clock 1714-1820 on page 63 (Plate II/45). The engraved signature cartouche to the backplate is perhaps a departure from Hindley's influence, however it is very well executed in the high rococo manner following the trends described in Dzik, Sunny ENGRAVING ON ENGLISH TABLE CLOCKs, Art on a Cavass of Brass 1660-1800 pages 357-64.