Beschreibung:

A Regency brass mounted mahogany bracket clock in the manner of Thomas Hopemovement by Joseph Mason for retail by William Alexander the case attributed to Banting and France, London, circa 1825 The five pillar twin fusee bell striking movement with anchor escapement, trip hour repeat and signed Wll,m. Alexander, London within a foliate oval cartouche to the border-engraved shouldered backplate, the pendulum with calibrated slider for regulation and conforming concentric engraved decoration to the lenticular bob, the 7 inch circular convex white painted Roman numeral dial with repeat signature WILL’M ALEXANDER, LONDON to centre within cast brass bezel milled with continuous scroll design, the case in the Romano-Egyptian taste with brass pineapple finial to the gadroon carved upstand incorporating brass mounted cavetto moulded collar and flanked by honeysuckle carved ‘acroteria’ finials, above geometric brass-inlaid ebonised moulded panel outline tapered front with crisply carved horizontal fluted infill to angles and shaped brass fillet inset fielded panel beneath dial, the sides with obelisk outline repeating Gothic arch tracery pierced brass frets, on panel fluted panel inset skirt base with stylised fan carved feet, 51cm (20ins) high. DESCRIPTION TO BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH ‘IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING THE CATALOGUING OF CLOCKS’ printed in the sale catalogue or available from the auctioneers on request. : The property of a private collector. Formerly (in 1926) with George Boniface Souter, the grandson of a major tenant farmer on the Goodwood Estate who died in 1952. Purchased privately from his widow by a collector in 1971, who subsequently sold it, again privately, to the current owner. the dial is the scratched inscription Jos’h Mason, London, Manufacturer who is recorded in Loomes, Brian Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World, Volume 2 as working from 2 Walbrook Place London 1832-9. William Alexander is recorded in Baillie, G.H Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World as working from Newington Causeway, London in 1825 and in Loomes as working 1828-44. The movement and bell bear detailed service inscriptions indicating regular work undertaken by the Hunter family, clockmakers of 136 High Street, Clapham from 1828-74, with two further dates up to 1896 by different makers based in Brixton.case of the current lot belongs to a group of around a dozen known examples which share the same basic form and dimensions differing only in detail. Perhaps the earliest from the series is an example by Atkins & Son formerly in the possession of Marquesses of Bristol, sold by Christies, King Street ‘Ellerslie House’ 24th May 2001, lot 65. The 1st Marquis of Bristol employed the firm of Banting, France & Co. to supply furniture for Ickworth, Suffolk including the State bed which shares similar details such as the anthemion carved ‘acrotoria’ finials with the Atkins & Son clock and the current lot. This coupled with the presence of the stamped B.F. initials on the case of the current lot suggests that Banting & France were the makers of this particular form of case, probably on a special order basis.case design with its robust fusion of Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian styles demonstrates the strong influence of Thomas Hope who, in his 1807 book Household Furniture.., published designs considered to be the height of fashion at the time. When considering his designs for smaller pieces of furniture such as for ‘Recesses in the shape of ancient hypogea’ (see Hope, Thomas Household Furniture pl. XXVII, no. I) the inspiration for the form of the current lot can clearly be seen. Condition report disclaimer