Royal & Noble
Royal & Noble
Property from the collection of the late Visconde de Lançada
A Commonwealth period brass lantern clock with alarm, Peter Closon, London, circa 1655
Lot Closed
January 18, 02:32 PM GMT
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from the collection of the late Visconde de Lançada
A Commonwealth period brass lantern clock with alarm, Peter Closon, London, circa 1655
6-inch chapter ring, the dial plate engraved with tulips and signed Peter Closon neere Holburn Bridge, Londini Fecit, central alarm disc, the conventional back to back movement with re-instated verge and balance escapement, the balance now with hairspring and poising weights, external locking plate striking on the top-mounted bell, the restored alarm train also acting on the bell, the conventional posted case with dolphin frets, turned finials and ball feet
40cm 15¾in high
Dom Alexandre de Sousa e Holstein Beck, Visconde de Lançada (1934-2014);
Thence by descent to the present owner.
Very little is known of the life of Peter Closen. It is not known where or when he was born but he was a 'subscriber' to the incorporation of the Clockmakers' Company in 1630. He was made Court Assistant in 1633 and Warden in 1637 but never progressed to become Master. He took a number of apprentices including; John Wise, Richard Ames and William Speakman and was a prolific maker of lantern clocks. The date of Peter Closen's death is not know but it is believed that he had died by 1662.
The clocks of Peter Closen span both the first and second periods of English lantern clock making and the present example is typical of his work from the second period.