What is it about boys and their toys? Us fellows are prepared to put good money into mechanical objects. This month's spectacular toy was not a clock but an airworthy WWII Spitfire which was purchased by a businessman for £1.58m plus premium and last September a non-air worthy example sold for just over £1m. At least the latest version has a passenger seat for one's partner. Now, not everyone has the means to acquire a Spitfire but men of a certain age go misty eyed at the thought of such a piece of machinery as we do at the sight of a Le Mans blower Bentley, a Jaguar E-Type and so on. Whatever this emotion is, it is the one at work when the right clock appears and clocks are available to suit all budgets. I do not believe that the gene responsible for this reaction generally extends to the female of the species. No emails please and if the thought police is reading this, no offence.
Now what has all this to do with tavern clocks--I confess this is the weakest of connections but I could not resist writing about the Spitfire. Continuing in this curious vein of boys' toys, a dealer in Scotland sold 7000 hickory-shafted golf clubs to a single buyer in China for £120000. It's a funny old world and time to move on.
Moving to the state of the market in April. A shoulder season month with no major clock events. The general antique market signals are mixed; private buyers are out in force and the trade not so strong. Some international events are well down on last year and the Sotheby's Doha event, albeit in March, fared badly. Nearer home Lyon & Turnbull's prestigious event at Blenheim Palace in April experienced a sale rate of less than 50%. On the other hand private buyers are out and about buying art and traditional pieces. In May, Drewattes will be holding another dealer's stock dispersal. So mixed all around.
The clock story of the month is the rescue of an 8-day longcase by the highly collectable Halifax maker Thomas Ogden. It was due to be trashed as part of a house clearance and someone spotted the gem, dated 1740, and estimated at £2-3000 by Frank Marshall it was knocked down at £22000. A very happy ending.
Three tavern clocks were offered in the month. Sworders sold a white round dial of full size, complete with a classic tavern movement and its original weight. The 18thC clock, minus its ears, was completely stripped of its japan and chinoiserie a long time ago. The clock was the property of Sudbury Museum and its provenance came with the clock. It had hung in Kentwell Hall to be transferred to the British School where it lost its lacquer and thence to the Sudbury Museum. The provenance report stated that the clock was made by local clockmaker Daniel Ray. It sold for a modest price to an Essex dealer who plans to restore it; an interesting challenge.
Later in the month there were two ebay offerings. The first was an unsigned octagonal with a painting or print of George III on the door with a buy-it-now price of £8000. This clock featured in an article in the Horological Journal some time ago.
The other was a modern recreation by Sheldon of Southampton which was offered on the same basis at £1850. The case was not accurately proportioned (and with a single sheet dial) but it was sold; this same clock has appeared at land based auctions twice in the last year so hopefully it has found its home.
If you are interested in a very accurate replica, one came my way last year and with some structural corrections it has now been lacquered. This is not a new Tavernicus venture but a one-off. Have a look at the For Sale section. http://www.tavernicus.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=33
The site also includes the result of my 30 year project to recreate the missing parts of a tavern clock. The link is on the home page but it is not for sale. http://www.tavernicus.co.uk/
I leave you with the thought that in the 18thC the term TOY was a collective noun encompassing many desirable objects including clocks. One would visit a Toy Shop, oh that such existed today.
