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28th July 2012 london selection clock sales continued from page 7


of the urn contained the watch-type lever movement, accessed by twisting and lifting the upper section using the Greek key-pattern handles. The base was intricately shaped and housed calendar and barometer dials. Cole’s 'novelty' clocks are well


recorded and this was thought to be the only known example of this model. As such, it was difficult to value and came with the same cautious estimate as its companion, but strong competition saw it fought to £18,000 by an American collector. The best of the Continental clocks


came from the 15 French carriage clocks on offer and produced the second highest price of the day. This clock had been bought from a household which had suffered bomb damage during the London Blitz. It had been in a downstairs room and had escaped unscathed, but its accompanying original leather-covered travelling case in the attic had sustained some shrapnel damage. This was a giant example, which are the most sought after by collectors and was taken to £35,000 by an American buyer. It was in a gilt-bronze case, 11in


(28cm) high, and was signed Berrolla Aine, Rue de la Tour 2 on the circular white enamel dial. It was a good exhibition of the mid-19th century engraver’s art, with the case, backplate, dial mask and even the barrels all profusely engraved with fine foliate work. The case was surmounted by a glass dome through which could be seen the circular platform with detent escapement and helical hairspring. The movement had grande sonnerie striking on two bells and day, date and alarm work. At the other end of the size scale came


another Continental lot, a large Belgian barrel organ and dulcimer combination compound musical clock, signed on the organ movement Fecit Mortier Gandavi 1785. It had a two-train clock movement striking on a bell with a two-rank organ with 36 pipes and a 24-note dulcimer.


Below: the highlight of the early lantern clocks was this example by Thomas Knifton, sold for £19,000 at Bonhams.


This is one of only two such examples known, the other being in the Guinness collection at the Morris Museum, USA. Its case, from the school of Abraham and David Roentgen, was of architectural design with Egyptian references. Made of figured Cuban mahogany, its massive fluted columns had to support the substantial movements as well as the clock weights and the mighty 77lb organ weight. Accompanying the clock


was an extensive report listing its known history and details of its alterations and restorations. These included the replacement of its original dulcimer, using the museum specimen as a reference, and instructions for restoring its hood, which inexplicably had been reduced by three inches and no longer cleared the bellows and longest organ pipes. This rare piece of mechanical


music history sold to a European collector at a low-estimate £30,000.


Above: a rare form of desk clock by Thomas Cole that went for six times its low estimate, taking £18,000 at Bonhams.


Singular gems from a capital selection


WHILE Bonhams held the only dedicated clock sale in London this summer, there were horological sections in several other London auctions. They included some of the glitziest


and most expensive timekeepers to go under the hammer as part of the high season sales, many of them made for the Chinese market. Having sold an Edward East longcase


for £260,000 in May (see ATG No 2044) Christie’s (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) added a second longcase by a notable Golden Age horologist to their tally with a silver-mounted, ebony-cased example by Johannes Fromanteel which was included in their July 5 Exceptional sale. Johannes, the son of Ahasuerus


Fromanteel, was apprenticed in 1651 but worked in the Hague with Salomon Coster, where he studied the application of Huygens’ newly invented pendulum clock, a significant technological leap forward. His 6ft 2in (1.8m) high clock signed to the dial is fitted with a movement of four latched and ringed pillars with bolt-and-shutter maintaining power. It has unusually constructed barrels, possibly later replacements and an early anchor escapement. This piece was formerly in the


celebrated Samuel Messer Collection, sold by Christie’s in 1991 when it was bought by the London dealer Henry Phillips for £130,000. This time


R. O. Schmitt Fine Arts, LLC one of the world’s leading horological auction houses since 1979.


Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th October 2012


Location: Radisson Hotel, Manchester, NH, U.S.A.


Live Internet Bidding available through Artfact and Invaluable


Watch, Clock and Jewelry Auction Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th September Radisson Hotel, Manchester Armory,


700 Elm St, Manchester, New Hampshire 03101 Please contact us for a free catalog George and Patty Jones, Auctioneers


View photos of all items, estimates and condition: RO Schmitt Fine Arts


PO Box 162, Windham, NH 03087 (603) 432-2237


www.roschmitt.com daniel@roschmitt.com


German table clock or Tisch-Uhr including original leather travel case, circa 1800. Est. $8000-$12,000


www.jones-horan.com NO Buyer’s Premium NO Sales Tax


Parkinson & Frodsham ship’s chronometer


453 Mast Road, Goffstown, NH 03045 USA Telephone 800 622-8120 or 603 623-5314


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