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Richard Fennel, Kensington, London.
An exceptional William III period burr yew wood bracket clock by the most famous Kensington clock maker. The 8-Day movement with its verge escapement runs for 8 days, strikes the hours on a bell and has a pull quarter repeat mechanism for recalling the last hour and last quarter hour. The dial has two winged cherubs' head corner spandrels, ringed winding holes, inset date work and an aperture for the dummy pendulum bob. In addition, there is a central alarm disc and two subsidiary dials for rise/fall and strike/silent
The backplate consists of beautifully restrained engravings of flowers, foliage, birds and an Indian head mask and there is a wheatear engraved border. The maker has signed his name in a central cartouche.
The burr yew wood veneered case is in remarkably original condition and it retains its original brass double ‘S’ scroll handle. Its small size and shallowness are of particular appeal, as is the rich mellow colour of the burr yew wood.
Richard Fennel was the most famous of the late 17th century Kensington clockmakers. He was made free of the clockmakers' company in 1679 and is not recorded as working after 1705.
We had a very rare small ten inch dial olivewood by the same maker some years ago but this is the first burr yew tree table clock which we have ever owned.
Height: 13.5 ins. (34.29 cm.)
Circa: 1700
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