George III Mahogany Bell-Top Table Clock by Robert Wood
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A George III mahogany-cased bell-top table clock, Robert Wood, London, 1770s, double fusee movement with verge escapement, bell striking, the silvered main dial with matted centre beneath subsidiary seconds and strike / silent dials within spandrels of applied gilt foliate scrolls in a glazed case of typical form with a brass swing handle to the top, pine cone finials to the corners, and fine fretwork grilles to all sides, on brass feet, the backplate engraved with foliage, 52 cm high (with handle raised), 29 cm wide, 19.5 cm deep. Provenance: Raffety and Walwyn, London, 2000
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- Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
- Fusee - The fusee movement was used in clocks and pocket watches from the mid 17th century. The fusee is a cone shaped drum within the works that is linked to the barrel of the spring, usually by a length of chain.
As the mainspring loses its tension over time, the cone shaped barrel compensates for this by increasing the tension, by pulling the mainspring tighter, thus ensuring the time remains constant.
Use of the fusee in clocks was superseded by the "going barrel" in the mid 19th century and for pocket watches at the beginning of the 19th century.
The fusee continued to be used in marine chronometers until the 1970s. - Back Plate - On many types of clocks, the movement operates between two plates, usually made of brass, one at the back, and the other at the front, which forms a mount for the dial.
On English bracket, mantle and table clocks the backplate was often visible through a glass door or panel from the late 17th century, and could be profusely engraved with scrolling decorations, flowers, foliage, birds, and figures. The engraving could also include the maker?s name.
The amount of engraving reduced and became simpler as the 18th century progressed, and by 1800, had been reduced to a border, often with the maker's name in the centre. By the early 1800s all decoration had ceased, and only the maker's name was added, and by the Victorian era, most bracket, mantle and table clocks had no engraving. - Matted - For decorative purposes the centre exposed brass area of a dial clock was often matted. this practice, dating from the second half of the 17th century was produced by hammering the brass with a single or multi-pointed punch, by rolling the brass or by etching the brass with acid.
The process creates a fine granulated surface in which the light is refracted in different directions and so was more pleasing to the eye than the flat brass surface. - George Iii - George III (1738 - 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820.
- Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.
Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins. - Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
- Spandrel - An architectural term that in horology refers to the triangular ornamental decoration in the corners of of the dial plate. The spandrels are usually of cast brass and may be additonally chased and engraved. On painted dial clocks the spandrels are also usually painted.
- Cone - A popular decorative motif based on the shape of the pine cone, and used in silver ceramics and furniture. Because of its shape it is most suitable for use as a finial.
- Verge Escapement - A verge escapement is an early mechanical escapement used in clocks and other timekeeping devices. It is an early form of the escapement mechanism, which is used to regulate the movement of the hands of a clock or watch. The verge escapement consists of a vertical shaft called the verge, which is mounted on the clock's main plate. Attached to the verge are two pallets, which engage with the teeth of the escape wheel. As the escape wheel turns, the pallets alternately lock and release it, allowing the movement of the clock to be regulated. The verge escapement was widely used in early mechanical clocks, but it was eventually replaced by the more accurate and reliable anchor escapement.
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