Late Seventeenth Century Bracket clock Massy
- Height:
- 34cm (40 with handle up)
- Maker:
- Massy
- Price:
- on request
LATE 17TH CENTURY ENGLISH SPRING CLOCK
An English eight-day spring-driven table clock signed Henry Massy London, dating to the period c.1690-1695.
The austere, elegantly proportioned ebony-veneered domed case has beautiful elaborately pierced silk-backed sound frets to the sides, whilst the backdoor is glazed showing the engraved backplate. It is surmounted by a shaped hinged carrying handle and rests on brass bun feet.
The fine square brass dial with a matted centre has a narrow applied silvered chapter ring, date aperture, false pendulum aperture, and gilded winged cherub-head spandrels. The chapter-ring is engraved with a narrow outer minute ring within which are Arabic five-minute numerals, a central ring with Roman hours I-XII and half-hour markers and an inner ring divided into quarter hours. The time is indicated by a fine pair of pierced blued steel hands. The dial is signed on a plaque behind the false pendulum Heñ Massy London.
The twin fusee eight-day brass movement consists of going and atriking trains. The going train has a verge escapement with a short knife-suspended pendulum. The striking is regulated by an internal rack and indicates the hours fully on a bell. In addition, the clock has pull quarter repeat on three bells. The backplate is profusely engraved in period style around a typical signature cartouche with the maker’s name: Henry Massy London.
The maker
Henry Massy, also Massey (c.1664-1720) was the son of Nicholas Massey, a Huguenot immigrant and well-known clockmaker. Henry was made a Free Brother in the Clockmakers’ Company in 1692. He was married to Anne Brissett in 1691. He was established in St James Westminster. Several longcase clocks, as well as numerous watches and bracket clocks are known.
Literature: B. Loomes, The Clockmakers of Great Britain 1286-1700, Ashbourne, 2014, pp.338-339.
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