Mostyn Tompion Clock

Acquisition by private treaty sale of year-going spring driven table clock by Thomas Tompion, London ca 1690. Considered his greatest work. Ebony veneered case with gilt-brass and silver mounts. The dome has a shield with the royal arms and the clock is surmounted with emblematic corner finials of a rose, a thistle and a lion and unicorn. The case is surmounted by a figure of Britannia. The dial has a silvered chapter-ring with blued-steel hands, and a sector aperture shows the days of the week each with its corresponding planet personified. The clock was made for William III between 1695 and 1700. When William died in 1702, many pieces of his collection passed to members of the Royal Household, who traditionally received such gifts from time to time instead of salaries. The Tompion Clock thus passed by family descent to the Lloyd-Mostyns and was put up for sale by the present Lord Mostyn in 1982.
Region
London
Grant awarded
£250,000
Year awarded