A JOSEPH KNIBB OLIVEWOOD LONGCASE CLOCK

This wonderfully original Olivewood, bone and ebony veneered clock is one of the earlier 10” longcases of the highly distinguished Joseph Knibb. To find such a good, original and un-touched clock is rare to find, many of these cases suffer greatly over the years from over restoration, so often the bone leaves are re-coloured with copper glutamate where as these leaves have been left un-touched for hundreds of years. This case has been looked after extremely well and it is advised to be kept in such a pristine untouched condition for years to come.

 

Movement: The 8-day weight driven clock movement held together by four latched baluster pillars with anchor escapement, seconds pendulum and regulated with the distinctive Knibb butterfly rating nut. The strike train uses a count wheel outside of the back plate to know which hour to strike the pork pie bell (again typically Knibb) on the hour.

 

Case: The stunning original olivewood veneered case of perfect proportions really shows off Knibbs eye for perfection. The carcass of the case being oak features Laburnum oyster veneers to both sides of the trunk, where the lockable door is finely veneered with Olivewood, bone and ebony with the lentical at pendulum bob length. The base is also veneered to match standing upon ebonised bun feet.

The rising hood is original as the day it was made and has never been altered. It features a lovely early bible-back moulding above the glazing for the dial accompanied by two walnut barley twist columns to either side. So often these cases can be wholly ruined by over restoration. This particular case has been looked after very well and has not suffered such fatal detriment.

 

Dial: The 10” square gilt brass dial is simply elegant and understated with fine matting to the centre, seconds subsidiary dial below XII and date aperture above VI. A silvered chapter ring surrounds the matting with Roman numerals depicting the hours, Arabic five minute markers and trident half hour markers, Knibbs fat-head cherub spandrels to each four corners of the dial plate which is engraved Joseph Knibb Londini Fecit to the lower edge. Finished with some beautifully sculpted finely blued steel hands

 

Provenance:

• Currently – Private collection, UK
• Previously – Private collection, Channel Islands

 

Comparative Literature:

• The Knibb Family Clockmakers by R. A. Lee

 

Height: 75 ¾” or 192.5cm

 

CIRCA. 1680

 

*This clock is delivered and set up for free within the UK. We regularly ship clocks all over the world with our approved and well-established Antiques and Fine Art Packers & Shippers. Please ask for a quote should you require this service.

 

Joseph Knibb – B.1640 – D.1711

Joseph Knibb was one of the most celebrated clockmakers of his day and was highly admired by Charles II for whom he made several fine clocks.

Joseph was apprentice to his cousin Samuel Knibb in 1655 at Newport Pagnell and after his seven year apprenticeship he then moved to Oxford in 1662, whilst Samuel moved to London the same year. It was far from an easy move, when he arrived in the city he was thought of as a foreigner by the freeman traders of the city who objected to his presence. It is thought that he traded without permission until upon payment of a fine in 1668, he was then free to carry out his business without hinderance. It was at this time he was most interested in the development of the anchor escapement and seconds pendulum for timekeeping accuracy – of which this particular clock is a fine example of his efforts.

In 1670 he moved to London, this could have been because of his accurate clocks or it could possibly be to do with Samuels death. Either way, immediately after setting up business in the city he was granted the freedom of the Clockmakers’ Company. He was quick to become established in London with a very distinctive style along with several notable inventions. Quite apart from producing work of consistent high quality, Joseph was imaginative, inventive and had an excellent eye for proportion. He had many apprentices and was elected as Steward of the Clockmakers’ Company in August 1984 and then Assistant in 1689.

By the time he retired in 1697 his business is believed to have made over four hundred clocks, proving that he was an illustrious businessman during his time in London. He retired to Hanslop where he still made clocks, only not on such a large scale. He died in December 1711.

This clock is an ideal investment that you can really appreciate simultaneously.

 

J. C. Collection

 

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