SOLD. Thomas Farr, Bristol. Circa 1812. 8-day mahogany longcase clock in excellent condition. Very rare dial by Nathaniel Porter.
A superb antique 8-day longcase clock by Thomas Farr, Bristol. Excellent mahogany case with crested dome top and brass finials. Top quality original hand-painted dial by a very rare dial-maker, Nathaniel Porter.
The clock is fully working. The movement is in very good condition, has been oiled and checked for correct operation, lines etc all good.
Overall height including centre finial is 88 inches.
Thomas Farr is listed as working in Bristol around 1820. He is recorded as a goldsmith but also made some fine quality clocks and watches.
The dial-plate is stamped “N PORTER late WILSON” on one side and “WILSON” on the reverse side. James Wilson is generally considered to be the best dial-maker, on his death in 1809 Nathaniel Porter very briefly took over his business but only until 1812. As a consequence, there are very few Porter dials in existence, M.F.Tennant in “Longcase painted dials” refers to and pictures one other.
This is a beautiful dial and appears very original. Hours and minutes use Arabic numbers which was the most popular fashion between 1800 and 1820. The corners have a mixture of floral themes and abstract patterns. Gold leaf is used for part of this which really reflects the light and stands out. The arch has very detailed depiction of roses and exotic birds, again gold leaf is used for the ‘basket’. The hands are steel ‘diamond’ shape, a popular fashion at this time.
Clock cases were often getting bigger and wider as the 1800s progressed but this one retains excellent, fairly slender, proportions. The trunk door is still ‘long’, no extra panels to the trunk which can look sometimes look too fussy by today’s standards. Overall colour and polish is excellent, just some very small marks if you look really closely.
The movement is of 2-train, 8-day format striking the hours on a bell. A typically well-made movement for the period.
Complete with matching weights, pendulum, winder and trunk door key (working lock).