GEORGE CLARKE IN LEADENHALL STREET, LONDON. A FINE AND VERY RARE MID 18TH CENTURY ORMOLU-MOUNTED WALNUT MUSICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL LONGCASE CLOCK WITH MIRRORED PANELS the arched hood set with mirrored panels flanked by freestanding facetted glass brass-mounted columns on a full-width trunk door set with five shaped mirrored glass panels, all with bevelled edges throughout and framed by beaded brass borders on a matching base. The 14" arched brass dial with gilt spandrels and silvered chapter ring surrounding a matted centre with subsidiary seconds dial and calendar aperture, the corner dials for Strike/Silent, Chime/Not Chime, Moon's age 1-29.5 and the phase i.e. 'New Moon' 'First Quarter', 'Full Moon', and 'Last Quarter', and a twice XII-XII framed by a six times 0-48 outer ring, the arch enclosing an engraved polished/blued spherical 'Halifax' moon below a silvered arch detailing the 12 tunes fronting a massive eight-day weight driven movement with shaped plates united by ten knopped and ringed pillars, the anchor escapement with crutch beat adjustment to the heavy pendulum, rack striking the hour on a vertical bell, and playing one of twelve tunes every three hours on 27 hammers and 15 bells via a 13 inch pin barrel mounted transversally to the rear, with trip repeat.

Provenance: Christie's 13 November 2014, lot 138.

261cm high