Beschreibung:

An important Charles II small walnut eight-day longcase clock previously in the Iden collection Joseph Knibb London, circa 1675 The six knopped, finned and latched pillar movement with tall rectangular plates measuring approximately 7.5 by 5.5 inches, the going train with anchor escapement regulated by two-piece seconds pendulum with brass lenticular bob and butterfly-nut regulation to the single-footed suspension block over separately cocked escapement pallet arbor and with pallet-shaped aperture to backplate, the strike train with external crossed-out countwheel and sounding on a 'pork pie' shaped bell mounted above the plates, the 9.5 inch square latched brass dial with winding holes and calendar aperture to the lower edge of the finely matted centre within applied 1.5 inch wide silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with squat fleur-de-lys half hour markers and Arabic five minutes within the narrow outer track, the angles applied with winged cherub head spandrels within a line scribed border interrupted with engraved signature Iofeph Knibb Londini fecit to lower margin, the movement and dial resting on full-depth oak seatboard and secured to the backboard via a bracket to the upper right hand corner of the backplate, the case veneered with walnut and applied with crossgrain mouldings onto a carcass of oak with rising hood surmounted by original carved swan-neck crest centred with a scallop shell flanked by rosettes issuing floral swags, over moulded cornice, plain lintel and twist turned three-quarter columns flanking the glazed dial aperture, the sides with rectangular windows and conforming twist-turned quarter columns applied against bargeboards to rear, the trunk with convex throat moulding over 40 inch quarter-veneered rectangular door applied with half-round moulded border and fitted with original high position iron lock, the interior with early pattern iron hinges and spoon locking mechanism for the hood, the sides veneered with grain running horizontally within crossbanded borders, on crossbanded plinth base with compressed bun feet (the plinth base rebuilt around the original side uprights), 193cm (76ins) high excluding ball finial, 199cm (78.5ins) high overall. Provenance: Purchased in Oxfordshire 1919 by Richard Arnold Esq. before passing into the collection of Walter Iden (inventory number 1913) by the late 1930's, from whom it was directly acquired by Neville Rollason shortly after the War. From before 1949 until 1963 the clock resided at Peplow Hall near Hodnet, Shropshire before being purchased by the present owner for a hammer price of £1,700 (underbid by Ronald Lee) at the on-site sale of the contents dispersed after the death of Neville Rollason in June 1963. Literature: Extensively illustrated (including a rear view of the movement complete with pendulum assembly) in Cescinsky, Herbert and Gribble, Ernest R. EARLY ENGLISH FURNITURE AND WOODWORK (1922) pages 300-1, Figs. 410-14 and discussed on pages 307-8. Illustrated in Cescinsky, Herbert THE OLD ENGLISH MASTER CLOCKMAKERS AND THEIR CLOCKS 1670-1820 pages 68-9, Figs 96-7 with an enlarged detail of the crest on page 46, Fig. 96. Illustrated in Dawson, Percy G., Drover, C.B. and Parkes D.W. Early English Clocks page 248, Plate 332 (detail of crest only). Illustrated and described in Dwason, Percy G. THE IDEN CLOCK COLLECTION pages 144-5 where Dawson notes that the current lot is the earliest example by Knibb in the collection. Joseph Knibb was born the fifth son of Thomas Knibb of Claydon, Oxfordshire in 1640. He is generally thought to have been apprenticed in around 1655 to his cousin Samuel Knibb in Newport Pagnell, before moving to Oxford circa 1662 (the same year that Samuel moved to London). Joseph initially struggled to trade in Oxford due to restrictions placed by the City authorities which were only relaxed on payment of a fine in 1668. It was about at this time that Joseph Knibb would have issued his copper trade tokens (an example of which was so