An ormolu, gold and agate-mounted musical automaton table clock, probably retailed by James Cox, London, circa 1765

2½-inch enamel dial signed Drury, London, tune selection lever at III and set on a broken-arch surround painted with a rural scene of an automaton windmill and a stag hunt with hounds whipper in a nd mounted huntsmen, the lower section with geese on a lake being chased by a dog, the three train fusee and chain movement with six vase-turned pillars, playing a Handel-style Minuet or March every three hours or at will, later conversion to lever platform escapement, the foliate engraved backplate signed John Drury, Londini Fecit, the case with domed top surmounted by a seated turbanned figure above pierced rococo fretwork panels, seated figures representing the four continents at the corners, the similarly decorated base with a door revealing a nest of three graduated velvet-lined drawers containing lidded jars, steel implements, a turtleshell brush and a mirror, the moulded base with lion mask feet  

Edmund de Rothschild, CBE, TD, Exbury
For further information on the de Rothschild family, see footnote to lots I & II.

Roger Smith, James Cox: a revised biography, Burlington Magazine, June 2000, pages 353-361

Enamel dial has chips around the right winding hole, painted surround and automata in original condition with some minor scrapes and losses but generally very good. Movement is complete and will run but would propbably benefit from cleaning and service, verge escapement removed and replaced with lever platform. Case in generally very good original condition and retaining the original gilding with minor marks and rubbing to high points, one mount detached from lower left side but we have it, top figure dented to face, front left figure lacking an item from her right hand, agate panels in good condition, dents and marks to the lion feet, some edging missing or loose from interior of door, drawers in good condition, one steel tool replaced by a later bodkin, silk backings probably replaced. With 2 door keys and an engraved winder.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping.

Important Notice regarding importation into the United States of Rolex watches
Sotheby's cannot arrange for the delivery of Rolex watches to the United States because U.S. laws restricts the import of Rolex watches. The buyer or a designated agent may collect the property in the country of sale."

This magnificent clock is an extremely rare example of a series of necessaire clocks produced by James Cox and others during the third quarter of the 18th Century. Whilst other necessaire clocks have been recorded, those with automata and music usually have this feature incorporated into a separate base and these could easily be provided with or without the more expensive complications. It is therefore more common to find a necessaire alone or with an associated watch timepiece. In this clock the music and power for the automata are combined in the clock movement with the necessaire below providing a pleasing continuity of design flowing through the whole piece. Other examples of musical automata necessaires are to be found in major collections including The British Royal Collection, The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York although none combine all of the features and designs displayed in this particular clock.

John Drury was apprenticed to his father, James, and was Free of the Clockmakers' Company in 1721. He worked at Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell. His son, James, was apprenticed to him in 1741 and was Free of the Clockmaker's Company in 1751. The Drury's premises in Red Lion Street were only half a mile from Cox's showrooms in Shoe Lane and perhaps the young James Drury was inspired by his contemporary, James Cox, to produce a clock, with his father, for this exciting new market. The casework for this clock has many close comparisons with the necessaire timepieces signed by Cox and it would appear that it was probably made in an associated workshop.

James Cox, 1723-1800, was apprenticed in 1738 to Humphrey Pugh a goldsmith and toyman in Fleet Street, London, and became Free in 1745 as a goldsmith. Almost immediately he went in to business on his own account producing extravagant objects with musical and automata complications. He quickly established a trade with the Far East but the business failed in 1758 and he was made bankrupt. However, Cox was able to retain his premises in Shoe Lane and by 1763 he was building a network of craftsmen and out workers to supply more fabulous items, this time to the newly emerging Indian market.