A George III ormolu quarter striking table clock, attributed to Stephen Rimbault, London, circa 1765, the dial in the manner of Johann Zoffany (1733-1810)
Lot closes
June 9, 02:15 PM GMT
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
Starting Bid
8,000 GBP
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Read more.Lot Details
Description
4½-inch enamel dial, the centre finely painted with a polychrome miniature galant scene of a musician entertaining two seated ladies, the three train fusee movement with verge escapement, striking the hours on a bell and striking the quarters on two further smaller bells, the backplate engraved with foliate scrolls, the drum case with silver-coloured metal flower and shell mounts and trellis frets with green silk backing, on scroll feet,
28cm ; 11in. high
This most unusual clock appears to be the pair to an almost identical clock sold by Auktionen Dr. Crott, Germany on 12th May 2012, Lot 411. The miniature enamel to the dial centre is a mirror image, the finial is complete and the movement is signed by Rimbault on the Crott example. Another similar example with enamel dial and an unsigned musical movement was also sold by Crott on 10th May 2014, Lot 511.
Stephen Rimbault (1711-1786) was a clockmaker of Huguenot decent and is best know for his musical automaton clocks with decorative painted dials, often sold to the Dutch market. He is recorded as working in Great St Andrew Street (now Monmouth Street), Covent Garden, London in 1744 and he remained in that street until his retirement in around 1770.
Johann Zoffany (1733-1810) the famous portrait painter, moved to London from Germany in around 1760. It is thought that Rimbault briefly employed Zoffany to add decoration to some of his clock dials during 1760. There is a well known portrait of Stephen Rimbault in the Tate gallery, painted by Zoffany in 1764.
For detailed information regarding the life of Stephen Rimbault and his association with Johann Zoffany see the Antiquarian Horological Society Journal, Vol. 44, No. 4, December 2023, pgs. 529-537.