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Grand in scale and unapologetically Victorian in temperament, this English bracket clock seamlessly unites architectural flair with mechanical mastery. Encased in golden oak and powered by a robust three-train, quarter-striking movement, it epitomizes the late 19th century’s reverence for ornament, precision, and gravitas.
The cabinet, finished in a mellow honey tone, stands on applied pad feet and rises from a boldly molded base into a façade defined by full-fluted columns. Carved Corinthian capitals provide a classical flourish to the domed front door, glazed with beveled glass and framed by a chamfered brass dial mask. Matching dome-topped windows on the sides invite glimpses of the nest of bells and intricate movement within.
At the back, a pierced wooden fret, backed with silk, filters dust while allowing the bells and hour gong to resonate with greater clarity. Above, an architectural pediment crowned with a brass pineapple finial, a Victorian emblem of hospitality, is adorned with carved floral motifs and fan patterns that gently soften the clock’s rectilinear mass.
Inside, the fusee-powered movement is constructed on a grand scale. It runs for eight days when fully wound and strikes the hours and quarters on a graduated nest of eight bells mounted above the plates. One may select between the Westminster chime, London’s Big Ben melody, or an alternative eight-bell sequence, both played in progressive quarters. Substantial brass plates are joined by turned pillars; the wheelwork is brass with steel pinions; and a rack-and-snail system governs the hourly strike. Each train is fitted with a fusee cone to equalize power, underscoring how Victorian ornament often concealed rigorous engineering. The plates are embellished with damascene engraving, adding a final flourish of refinement.
The dial displays a tapestry of textures. Cast brass spandrels with floral and shell motifs frame a silvered chapter ring, marked with Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic five-minute numerals within a closed minute track. The matted center highlights the blued steel hands in crisp relief. In the arch, three subsidiary dials provide practical control: a chime/silent selector, a rate-adjustment dial, and a tune selector for Westminster or the eight-bell chime. The name plate reads Fattorini & Sons, a firm founded in 1827 by Antonio Frattorini, an Italian-speaking immigrant who settled in Yorkshire and established multiple retail outlets specializing in jewelry, watches, clocks, and other fine goods, including barometers.
A presentation plaque affixed to the base anchors the clock in its historical moment. It records that the clock was presented in October 1892 to the Rev. H. B. Hunt, Vicar of Wyke, by his parishioners on the occasion of his appointment to the Vicarage of Tenbury, a gesture of esteem and gratitude for the devoted work of both him and Mrs. Hunt.
Crafted in 1890, this monumental bracket clock transcends its utilitarian purpose to embody the full sweep of Victorian ambition. More than a device for marking the hours, it is a statement of confidence, an object designed to be seen, heard, and admired
Dimensions: Height 27", Width 17.75", Depth 12.5"
Inventory 225120
Price $4,850
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