c.1700 English Quarter-Repeating Ebony Bracket Clock
English /
Mantle
Inv. #: E55
Maker: Mainadie, London
Circa: 1700
Size: 14" high
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Case
The well proportioned ebony veneered inverted bell-top case has finely cut moldings, windows to the sides and brass animal feet.
Dial
The square brass dial has a matted center, a shaped calendar aperture framed by scrollwork, ringed winding arbors, winged cherub spandrels and a strike/no strike up at the top edge. The steel-cut hands show the time on an engraved silvered chapter that has Roman numerals for the hours, Arabic numbers for the five-minute marks, decorative half-hour marks on the inside quarter hour chapter and decorative half quarter marks along the outside edge.
Movement
The rectangular brass time and strike eight-day movement has an elaborately engraved backplate, large shaped pillars, the original crownwheel escapement, twin fusees and countwheel striking on a bell. It also has a rotating pull mechanism that has cords out both sides of the case and when activated counts the quarters on three bells and then repeats the hour and, unlike most English clocks, the hands can be turned backwards without damaging the movement.