AN ARCHITECTURAL LACQUERED BRASS CONGREVE-TYPE ROLLING BALL ...

Estimate

£1,200 - £1,800

AN ARCHITECTURAL LACQUERED BRASS CONGREVE-TYPE ROLLING BALL TIMEPIECETHWAITES AND REED, LONDON, No. 38 CIRCA 1972The four columnar-pillar single fusee movement with pediment-shaped plates incorporating sub-plate for the under-dial motionwork, and bevel-gear arrangement applied to the backplate to facilitate transverse winding via a square positioned to the rear left of the movement, the dial panel applied with central silvered minutes ring annotated with Arabic ten minutes, flanked by conforming Arabic numeral hour ring to the left and seconds to the right, set within an elevated tympanum enclosing the movement, adorned with fluted corner panels and capped with anthemion cast acroteria finials over ogee top mouldings, the entablature with projecting cornice and architrave forming the rectangular frame top panel, raised on four cast brass Corinthian inspired columns enclosing a table balance set via pivots on a central post and with zig-zag track for the rolling ball, with trip-release levers to enable the table to be tipped via motive power applied by crank drive from the movement at the end of each run of the ball down the track, on substantial stepped cast brass skirt base applied with silvered maker's plate inscribed Thwaites. & Reed to front, set on original ogee edge moulded wooden plinth with brass screw feet for level adjustment, and with rectangular Perspex cover; with folder containing instructions and correspondence with the original owner.48cm (19ins) high, 48cm (19ins) wide, 32cm (12.5ins) deep overall.Provenance:Ordered direct from Thwaites and Reed Limited of 15 Bowling Green Lane, London, by a Mr. T.B. Whiting of Newark, Nottinghamshire, in May 1971. The clockmaking firm Thwaites and Reed can be traced back to Ainsworth Thwaites who was apprenticed in 1735 and worked from Rosoman Row, Clerkenwell, London 1751-80. He was an accomplished maker who supplied the clock for the tower at the Horse Guards Parade. His son, John, was born in 1757 and took over the business presumably on the death of Ainsworth in 1780 before moving to Bowling Green Lane. He entered into partnership with Jeremiah Reed in 1808 and the firm subsequently became well known for supplying all forms of clocks and movements either wholesale for others to retail or signed by themselves. The partnership continued under John Thwaite's leadership from several addresses in London until his death in 1842. The business has subsequently passed through a series of successors and is still trading today from Rottingdean near Brighton. The present timepiece is from a limited run of 100 examples and is based on the design patented by William Congreve in 1808.