Antique Clock Popularity Proved at Auction
Leigh Extence, Clock Consultant, reviews the highlights from the Clock Section of
the January 2013 Fine Art Auction held at our Exeter salerooms. The interest shown
in the mantel, bracket and longcase clocks offered in this auction clearly demonstrates
that clocks remain very popular with buyers at auction.
A French bronze and ormolu mantel clock, signed on the dial L'Echopié Jne à Paris,
which was offered in the Clock Section of our Fine Art Auction in January 2013 and
achieved £7,600. (FS17/742).
The results from the Clock Section in the
January 2013 Fine Art Auction
proved that antique clocks are still popular with buyers.
Of particular interest was a stunning
French bronze and ormolu mantel clock
(FS17/742), signed on the dial L'Echopié Jne à Paris, a highly thought-of
maker who continued the clockmaking business of his father, Adam L'Echopié, from
circa 1812 in the Rue Neuve des Petits Champs, Paris. This
mantel clock,
possibly depicting the Goddess Leto with a suckling Apollo seated on a classical
day bed, has a case identical to an example signed Bassot à Paris as shown
in the Encyclopedie de la Pendule Francaise by Kjellberg. This exceptional
piece, with fine ormolu mounts and detail complementing the bronze case, went for
a final bid of £7,600.
A Winterhalder & Hofmeier Bracket Clock (FS17/749) attained £3,300 at auction
in January 2013 in a sale that demonstrated clocks remain popular with buyers.
There was one German workshop able to produce
bracket clock
of a quality to rival the English clockmakers of the Victorian period, Winterhalder
& Hofmeier of Schwarzenbach. Known primarily for their well-made 'ting-tang'
mantel clocks, the company also produced high-grade examples such as the
triple-fusee, ebonised bracket clock
(FS17/749) with finely cast ormolu mounts and an eight-day movement set to chime
the quarters on either four gongs or eight bells. This bracket clock went under
the hammer for £3,300.
The dial of a longcase clock made by the Devon-based clockmaker John Michell, circa
1690. (FS17/754).
Interesting examples of
longcase clocks
still command good prices as shown by
lot 754,
which appeared to be a humble oak cased thirty-hour example, but in actual was one
of the most interesting examples of provincial clockmaking seen of this type for
many years. The movement was made by John Michell, working in Chardstock in Devon
in the late 1600s, who is known for his extremely fine lantern clocks. Instead of
the normal four pillars holding the movement plates, this has five pillars and all
are latched to the frontplate, rather than pinned, a form found in only the finest
clocks by the best makers in the late seventeenth century. The movement is also
furnished with beautifully worked steelwork and, unusually, strikes both the hour
and half-hour on two bells. The London-style square brass dial is of the highest
quality, being the much sought-after ten-inch size, with engraving between the cherub-head
corner spandrels and beautifully constructed blued-steel hands, all pointing to
a date of manufacture of circa 1690. Despite being in a later oak case, this longcase
clock reached a bid of £820.
The movement from the John Michell longcase clock that realised £840 in the Clock
Section of our recent Fine Art Sale. (FS17/754).
Lot 752 was a finely produced
miniature walnut longcase clock
in the Queen Anne style made circa 1840. With a small, eight-inch square brass dial
and standing only six feet high, this longcase clock was always going to attract
interest, especially being signed for Samuel Atfield of Brentford, a member of the
well-known Atfield clockmaking family and with the label affixed inside of the case
being signed in ink 'Mr Upjohn, W Maker, South Street' for one of Exeter's
most illustrious clockmakers working in the early 19th century, a name also known
in Brentford to where William Upjohn retired to be with his daughter-in-law, and
where lived a number of clockmaking Upjohns. A final bid of £1,800 secured
this longcase clock.
A miniature walnut longcase clock in the Queen Anne style, made circa 1840, and
signed for Samuel Atfield of Brentford, sold for £1,800. (FS17/752).
- Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood
- Fine Art Auction
- Clock Auctioneers
- Mantel Clocks
- Bracket Clocks
- Longcase Clocks
- Adam L'Echopié
- Winterhalder & Hofmeier
- John Michell
- William Upjohn
Social Bookmarks
Please click the following links to flag this article to other people on the Internet.