Donnington Priory Salerooms

54
102
An Important burr walnut longcase clock of
three month duration with pull quarter-repeat
on six bells
Simon DeCharmes, London, with movement
and dial supplied for the clock by Claude
DuChesne, dated 1717
The substantial eight finned-pillar rack and bell
striking movement with five-wheel trains, rise/fall
pendulum regulation and pull-quarter repeat on six
bells, the 24 hour wheel inscribed Claudius Du
Chesne Londini, 24th May 1717, the 12 inch gilt
brass break-arch dial with calendar aperture, turned
collets for the winding holes, pierced steel hands
and silvered subsidiary seconds ring to the finely
matted centre within an applied silvered Roman
numeral chapter ring with fleur-de-lys half hour
markers and Arabic five minutes to the outer track,
the angles with gilt cast mask-and-scroll spandrels,
beneath arch with central domed silvered boss
boldly signed Simon DeCharmes, London, flanked
by subsidiary strike/silent and regulation dials with
matted centres and within conforming foliate scroll
relief infill, the case of impressive proportions and fine
colour, with tall ogee domed caddy applied with three
cast brass ball-and-spire finials above blind fret
break-fronted box upstand incorporating ogee
moulded break-arch frieze with conforming fret infill,
the hood door with applied half-round gilt brass dial
surround flanked by integral columns with gilt caps
and bases, the sides with brass-edged large
rectangular windows and dressed with quarter
columns backed onto bargeboards to the rear edges,
the trunk with book-matched veneers to the concave
throat and unusual applied break-arch mouldings
above herringbone banded finely figured trunk door,
on conforming banded panel plinth base with double
skirt, 253cm excluding finials, 271cm high overall.
Provenance: The property of a Lady
Claude DuChesne and Simon DeCharmes were
both of French Huguenot immigrant extraction.
DuChesne originated from Paris and was made
Free of the Clockmakers Company in 1693, De
Charmes was made a Free brother in 1691.
Both specialised in producing very distinctive high
quality clocks usually of complex specification, often
playing music or with astronomical features, many for
export to Northern Europe. When the work of both
makers is compared it becomes apparent that they
must have had a close working relationship. A good
example illustrating the similarities of both makers
work, can be seen when comparing two japanned
musical table clocks sold at Sotheby's in 2006/7. The
first example, by DuChesne, sold in London on
14/12/06 (lot 66) the second, by DeCharmes, also
sold in London, on 25/04/07 (lot 81). Both these
clocks are of similar specification and are in near
identical cases, only differing slightly in detail.
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