A fine English musical faux tortoiseshell lacquered longcase clock 1725
William Harris
SchildpadschildpadHoutLak
277 ⨯ 52 ⨯ 31 cm
Momenteel niet beschikbaar via Gallerease
- Over kunstwerkA fine English 8-day musical long case clock by William Harris London with chinoiserie decoration
Period: Ca 1725
Eight day going train with ‘anchor’ escapement. Striking train chimes full on the hour. Plays on 14 bells 2 melodies on reversible playrolls: Lilli burLero and She gott Money.
The case of this clock is painted, or ‘japanned’, to imitate the more expensive imported lacquer from Japan and China, and is decorated with Chinese figures, buildings and flowers. Japanning involved applying coats of coloured varnish over a gesso (whiting paste) base layer, which was often built up in relief for a three-dimensional effect. The tall, flat surfaces of long-case clocks provided an ideal opportunity to add such decoration to a domestic room.
A similar example is to be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. - Over kunstenaarWilliam Harrison (20 May 1728 – 24 April 1815) was an English instrument maker, the son of John Harrison, inventor of the marine chronometer.
He was born in Barrow-upon-Humber but moved to London to assist his father in developing the chronometer. In 1761 he sailed to Jamaica on HMS Deptford in charge of his aged father's latest development, the "sea watch", now known as the H4 marine watch, which was to undergo critical performance trials during the transatlantic crossing. Parliament had offered a large prize (20,000 pounds) for a practical working solution to the problem of determining longitude at sea and set up the Board of Longitude to evaluate submissions. In spite of the success of the H4 trials, where the timepiece was shown to be very accurate and reliable and had enabled the longitude to be accurately determined, the Board of Longitude insisted on a second transatlantic crossing to confirm the results. He undertook a second voyage in 1764, sailing to Barbados on HMS Tartar. However, the Board of Longitude were still not convinced that the conditions for the prize had been met.
He then worked with his father, who was now in his late 70s, to produce the H5 chronometer which in 1772 they demonstrated to King George III with great success, gaining the king's support in their fight for the prize offered by Parliament. They were eventually awarded a sum of money, but not the full amount originally offered.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1765, his candidature citation reading "Mr William Harrison of East Street Red Lyon Square, being desirous of the honour of becoming a Member of this Society, Is recommended by us as a Person well skilled in Mechanicks, and several other useful other parts of Mechanical learning, and well known to the learned not only in this Kingdom, but several parts of Europe, for his careful Experiments for the discovery of the Longitude at Sea and therefore we think he will be an useful member of this Society." He was described as a Scientific Instrument Maker.
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