17th Jul, 2021 9:30 GMT/BST

Summer Fine Sale (Day Two)

 
  Lot 281
 


Lot 281 - A Rare and Early Brass Striking Lantern Clock, signed Richard Beck at Ye French Church,...
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281

A Rare and Early Brass Striking Lantern Clock, signed Richard Beck at Ye French Church,...

A Rare and Early Brass Striking Lantern Clock, signed Richard Beck at Ye French Church, Londini, circa 1655, four posted case with shield and scroll pierced engraved frets, front fret signed Richard Beck at ye French Church Londini, turned finials, 6-1/2-inch Roman numeral chapter ring, floral engraved dial centre, central alarm disc, single wrought iron hand, two train 30-hour movement with a crown wheel verge escapement and large balance wheel, countwheel striking on a top mounted bell, (alarm work missing), 39cm high see illustrations     
 
Richard Beck was born in about 1632 and is first recorded as apprenticed in May 1646 through the Clockmakers' Company to John Selwood. After Selwood's death in 1651, Beck was transferred to carry on his apprenticeship under Thomas Loomes until 1653. Richard's short working life was around six years and his work produced in this time cannot therefore have been made in great numbers. Only a handful of lantern clocks by Richard Beck is known today, and these clocks are signed in slightly varying ways but generally 'near ye French Church' or 'at ye French Church'. These were all made as balance wheel examples, as the pendulum did not appear till 1658. Richard Beck produced fine clocks with excellent engraved dials. Tragically his brief life as a young clockmaker who flourished during the Civil War came to an end when he died in 1659 at a young age of twenty-seven.

Sold for £5,000
Estimated at £4,000 - £5,000


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22.04.21 The brass surfaces are discoloured and nicely aged, side brass doors are missing, back wrought iron panel is missing, alarm work is missing, back left hand side foot with a small crack which is probably a casting crack, movement is dirty and the iron work is discoloured with small rust marks in places, back left hand finial with a small crack to its base, dial with wax missing to the numerals, dial is discoloured, alarm disc is now a dummy and has no alarm work, hand is slightly rusty and has a small split near the end, movement in going order, with one weight.

 

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Auction: Summer Fine Sale (Day Two), 17th Jul, 2021

Summer Fine Sale (Day Two)

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