Dreweatts Donnington Priory Salerooms
Lot 151
An extremely rare Queen Anne Chinese lacquer eight-day longcase clock Daniel Delander, London, early 18th century The five finned pillar rack and bell striking movement with 12 inch square brass dial with subsidiary seconds dial, calendar aperture and silvered oval plate signed Dan. Delander, London to the matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with fleur-de-lys half hour markers and Arabic five minutes to outer track, the angles with gilt Indian mask and scroll cast spandrels, in a case with flambeau urn finials and tall caddy decorated in raised polychrome and gilt with flowering foliage above scroll pierced fret to upstand over moulded cornice and conforming fret to frieze and three-quarter columns with brass caps and bases flanking raised foliate spray decoration to the glazed hood door, the trunk with silvered leafy-scroll carved wood decorative corbels to throat above door finely decorated in raised polychrome and gilt with birds and a mallard in flight near a blossoming shrub issuing from a rocky outcrop with two standing crane birds, the sides with particularly fine relief gnarled tree trunk decoration issuing leafy sprays, on plinth base further decorated with aquatic birds within a naturalistic setting over moulded double skirt with squab feet, 254cm (100ins) high excluding top finial, 269 (106ins) high overall. Daniel Delander is recorded in Loomes, Brian The Early CLOCKMAKERS of Great Britain as born circa 1678 and apprenticed to Charles Halstead before being transferred to Thomas Tompion and gaining his Freedom of the ClockmakersÕ Company in 1699. He initially worked as ÔservantÕ to Thomas Tompion from Devereux Court and later (after TompionÕs death in 1713) from Ôwithin Temple BarÕ, Fleet Street. He was a fine maker whose work was clearly influenced by his master but is perhaps best known for his series of particularly fine duplex escapement longcase clocks as well as long duration clocks often with refinements such as equation of time. Delander appeared to also share his masterÕs exacting standards with regards to the quality and design of the cases for his clocks, with his table clocks often mirroring those of Tompion and his successor George Graham. The case of the current lot appears to be an extremely rare, if not an unique surviving example of Chinese lacquer decoration applied to a case made in London. The construction of the case is typical of English work of this period however differs in that the carcass is made almost entirely of pine (only the cleats in the trunk door appear to be oak) rather than being of the usual mixed pine/oak for ÔjapannedÕ cases. This departure from the use of oak for any of the surfaces/principal structural elements of the current lot supports the view that the case was designed to be shipped to China for decoration; indeed accounts exist confirming that deal timber was sent to China as it was deemed well suited for lacquer work (see Bowett, Adam ENGLISH FURNITURE 1660-1714 page 149). The decoration itself is of fine quality with every element formed in relief built-up using a hard brick-red coloured clay based lacquer compound (rather than white gesso) indicative of Chinese/Japanese practice. The design is relatively restrained and is principally composed of naturalistic asymmetric forms contrasting with delicate blossom detail inhabited by birds. This slightly restrained approach perhaps displays a Japanese influence however such work during this period was only undertaken in China; it is perhaps appropriate that the trunk door is decorated with a pair of crane birds which are deemed a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture. We would like to thank Adam Bowett for his assistance with the footnote for this lot.
