A George III Blue Japanned Tall Case Clock by Thomas Reynolds

Inventory Number: : 090-105

Price: $ 28,000

Height: 90 inches

Width: 19 1/4 inches

Depth: 10 inches

DESCRIPTION

The hood with a caddy top and gilt finials above an arched door flanked by three-quarter turned columns, the trunk enclosed by a molded panel door with Chinoiserie decoration throughout on a plinth base. The arched silvered and engraved brass dial with Roman hours and Arabic minutes, with subsidiary seconds dial and date aperture to the center and strike/silent to the arch, the twin train movement with anchor escarpment striking on the bell. The dial signed Thos. Reynolds Oxford. The case with rare blue japanning with gilt Chinoisserie decoration.

A remarkable feature of this clock by Reynolds is the completely original nature of the movement with no alterations or replacements.

Oxford was a center of clock-making second only to London in the 18th century and it produced many talented makers including the prolific Knibb dynasty.

Thomas Reynolds (active 1745-1799)  was the son of the blacksmith John Reynolds to whom he was apprenticed. A talented maker Thomas supplied clocks to many of the Oxford colleges and churches. he is known to have trained at least eight apprentices including Thomas Earle who became his partner and succeeded him on his death in 1799.

English c.1770