拍品 106
106
An oak drop-dial wall timepiece
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VA… 显示更多
An oak drop-dial wall timepiece

18TH CENTURY

细节
An oak drop-dial wall timepiece
18th century
The circular white-painted Franklin dial with an unusual arrangement of Roman Numerals within an octagonal moulded frame, the trunk with hinged door, with weight driven movement and brass pendulum
65½in. (166.5cm.) high
注意事项
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

拍品专文

The ingenious 'Ferguson' clock-face displays the hours divided into four and framed within an octagon compartment that recalls Apollo as 'leader of the hours', being inspired by the sun-deity's temple illustrated in R. Wood, Ruins of Palmyra, 1757. The Scottish artist and astronomer James Ferguson (d. 1776), who was a Fellow of the Royal Society and author of 'Astronomy explained on Sir Isaac Newton's Principles', 1756, discussed his invention of the 'three-wheel' clock with a single hand and a minute ring in 'Select Exercises', 1758. Ferguson practised as a portrait-painter in London from 1743, and lectured on astronomy and scientific subjects. His clock was developed from one invented by the celebrated American statesman, philosopher and author Benjamin Franklin (d. 1790), who was established in London in 1757 as colonial agent for Pennsylvania (Henderson, Life of James Ferguson, London, 1870).