Dreweatts 1759
Lot 186
Y AN INTERESTING QUEEN ANNE EBONY TABLE/BRACKET CLOCKRICHARD STREET, LONDON, CIRCA 1715The six finned pillar twin fusee inside rack bell striking movement now with anchor escapement for regulation by lenticular bob pendulum incorporating worm gear rise/fall regulation to suspension, the backplate finely engraved with leafy herringbone border enclosing symmetrical foliate scrollwork around a central classical bust resting on a shelf draped with a lambrequin signed RICH. STREET, LONDON, the 6.5 inch brass break-arch dial with false bob and calendar apertures and applied silvered oval plate engraved Rich'd Street, London to the finely matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with cruciform half hour markers and Arabic five minutes beyond the outer minute track, with fine delicate scroll pierced steel hands and unusual winged cherub mask and scroll cast spandrel mounts to angles with the upper concealing engraved rosettes and spare holes indicating original provision of twin selection rings, the arch with rosette-centred subsidiary dial engraved with Arabic numeral hour chapters flanked by bird inhabited foliate scrollwork, the inverted bell-top case with substantial hinged bras carrying handle and crisp complex waist mouldings to the distinctive ogee-shaped superstructure, with ogee and cavetto top mouldings and hinged front applied with complex raised mouldings to the break-arch glazed dial aperture and upper quadrant panels, the sides with rectangular over break-arch glazed apertures and the rear with break-arch glazed door incorporating blind upper quadrant panels set within the frame of the case, on cavetto moulded skirt base with block feet.44cm (17.25ins) high with handle down, 25.5cm (10ins) wide, 17cm (6.75ins) deep. Richard Street is an important but relatively enigmatic maker who is recorded in Baillie G.H. Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World as gaining his freedom of the Clockmakers' Company in 1687, made Assistant in 1713 and appointed Warden 1716. He was a fine maker who had close working connections with Thomas Tompion for whom it is thought he made repeating watch movements (see Evans, Jeremy THOMAS TOMPION at the Dial and Three Crowns page 114). Street is perhaps best known for his commission by Sir Isaac Newton to supply a monumental month duration longcase clock for presentation to Dr. Bentley for the Observatory at Trinity College Cambridge in 1708; he also, alongside William Wright, took over the maintenance of the turret clock at St. Pauls Cathedral from Langley Bradley in 1716. A year going clock in an Arabesque marquetry case by Street survives in the Collection of the National Trust at Melford Hall, Suffolk. The engraving to the backplate of the current lot can be broadly compared to decoration discussed in Dzik, Sunny ENGRAVING ON ENGLISH TABLE CLOCKS, Art on a Canvas of Brass within the chapter titled 'Vine engraving 1700-1740' (pages 313-336). However, perhaps the strongest similarities are seen on backplates for clocks by George Graham illustrated earlier in the publication on pages 276-78 (figures 15.14-.16). From this it would be reasonable suggest that the backplate of the present clock was executed by the same engraver - Tompion/Graham's 'graver G.195'. The case of the present clock also demonstrates a high-quality individual approach with regards to detailing. This is most noticeable within the design of the superstructure which, in addition to being fitted with a particularly generous cast brass handle, has bold waist mouldings over individual ogee-profile to the caddy itself. This departs from the usual stepped ogee profile seen on other cases made by Street's contemporaries, including Quare and Graham; and is suggestive of a maker looking to set himself aside from others. Evidence in both the movement and dial of the present clock indicate that it was originally made with pull-quarter repeat and subsidiary selection dials (one most likely for strike/silent selection) to the upper spandrel areas. Although the mechanism has lost some of its original features, there has been minimal alteration to both the movement and dial. Hence the clock presents as a tantalising restoration project which would result in an example of fine specification and full of individual character reflective of one of the most interesting and enigmatic makers of the period.
