Antique Grandfather Clock by W North, Leckonfield circa 1780

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Antique Grandfather Clock by W North, Leckonfield circa 1780

About the Item

This is a lovely antique George III mahogany and inlaid longcase clock circa 1780 in date. It is an 8 day clock with silvered chapter ring and it is signed "W. North, Leckonfield". Chiming on the hour, with 2 weights pendulum and winding key. There are subsidiary seconds and calendar dials and the arch has a tempus fugit boss. The case and the hood have satinwood crossbanding, and the hood is flanked by fluted pillars with ormolu Corinthian capitals. The case has been inlaid with a beautiful marquetry decoration of shells and urns. Condition: You are viewing this item in its excellent original untouched condition. Any restoration that is required will be accomplished before delivery and is included in the price. Dimensions in cm: Height 225 x Width 50 x Depth 27 Dimensions in inches: Height 88.6 x Width 19.7 x Depth 10.6 Mahogany is probably one of the largest ‘families’ of hardwood, having many different varieties within its own species. Mahogany has been used for centuries in ship building, house building, furniture making etc and is the core structure of just about every 19th century vanity box, dressing case or jewellery box. It became more of a Victorian trend to dress Mahogany with these decorative veneers, such as Rosewood, Kingwood, Burr Walnut and Coromandel, so that the actual Mahogany was almost hidden from view. Mahogany itself is a rich reddish brown wood that can range from being plain in appearance to something that is so vibrant, figured and almost three dimensional in effect. Although Mahogany was most often used in its solid form, it also provided some beautifully figured varieties of veneer like ‘Flame’ Mahogany and ‘Fiddleback’ Mahogany (named after its preferred use in the manufacture of fine musical instruments). Cuban Mahogany was so sought after, that by the late 1850′s, this particular variety became all but extinct. Marquetry is decorative artistry where pieces of material (such as wood, mother of pearl, pewter, brass silver or shell) of different colours are inserted into surface wood veneer to form intricate patterns such as scrolls or flowers. The technique of veneered marquetry had its inspiration in 16th century Florence. Marquetry elaborated upon Florentine techniques of inlaying solid marble slabs with designs formed of fitted marbles, jaspers and semi-precious stones. This work, called opere di commessi, has medieval parallels in Central Italian "Cosmati"-work of inlaid marble floors, altars and columns. The technique is known in English as pietra dura, for the "hardstones" used: onyx, jasper, cornelian, lapis lazuli and colored marbles. In Florence, the Chapel of the Medici at San Lorenzo is completely covered in a colored marble facing using this demanding jig-sawn technique. Techniques of wood marquetry were developed in Antwerp and other Flemish centers of luxury cabinet-making during the early 16th century. The craft was imported full-blown to France after the mid-seventeenth century, to create furniture of unprecedented luxury being made at the royal manufactory of the Gobelins, charged with providing furnishings to decorate Versailles and the other royal residences of Louis XIV. Early masters of French marquetry were the Fleming Pierre Golle and his son-in-law, André-Charles Boulle, who founded a dynasty of royal and Parisian cabinet-makers (ébénistes) and gave his name to a technique of marquetry employing tortoiseshell and brass with pewter in arabesque or intricately foliate designs.

Dimensions:
Height: 88.59 in (225 cm)Width: 19.69 in (50 cm)Depth: 10.63 in (27 cm)
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
18th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
c. 1780
Condition:
You are viewing this item in its excellent original untouched condition. Any restoration that is required will be accomplished before delivery and is included in the price.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 055241stDibs: LU95061112340