JOHN MOTTRAM, LONDON, CIRCA 1790

Details

A GEORGE III PASTE-SET ORMOLU MUSICAL TABLE CLOCK
JOHN MOTTRAM, LONDON, CIRCA 1790
CASE: of rectangular outline, the stepped top with balustraded galleries and later eagle finial, the front mounted with blue, white and red paste-set medallions about the convex glass bezel, the angles with outset feathered scrolls, pierced sound fret panels to sides and rear door, the stepped base raised on feet modeled as flowering cornucopia
DIAL: the white enamel dial with Roman hours and Arabic five minute markers, gilt spade hands
MOVEMENT: the substantial three-train chain fusee movement with quarter-striking to the backplate, the pin barrel musical movement with sixteen hammers striking twelve bells, enamel four-tune selection dial to the rear signed ‘JN. MOTTRAM / LONDON’ and numbered‘1-4’, with printed and inscribed Ann and Gordon Getty Collection inventory label
17 in. (43.2 cm.) high, 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) wide, 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) deep

Provenance

A Gentleman; Christie’s, London, 22 November 1978, lot 154.
With Blairman, London, 1978.
Acquired from Jeremy Ltd., London, by Ann and Gordon Getty in 1979.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Elizabeth Seigel Vice President, Specialist, Head of Private and Iconic Collections

eseigel@christies.com +1 212 484 4812

Lot Essay

John Mottram (active 1780-1811) had premises in Warden Court, Clerkenwell Close, London. He was one of a number of English makers who made fine quality musical automaton clocks for the Eastern market. According to Ord-Hume (Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume, The Musical Clock, Musical and Automaton Clocks and Watches, Mayfield, 1995, p. 313), his work is often confused with that of James Cox and it is assumed that he worked for or with Cox on some projects. Similar 'feathered' angle mounts may be seen on a clock by Mottram sold Sotheby's London, Important Clocks, Watches, Barometers and Mechanical Musical Instruments, 12 December 2001, lot 76. A very closely related model of clock was sold from the Nezu Museum, Christie's, Hong Kong, 27 May 2008, lot 1512 (HKD 4,327,500 inc. premium).

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