1990.0012
Overall length 71, external diameter of wooden dial surround 41.2, diameter of glass through brass ring 29.4, diameter of enamelled dial 30.2, length of big hand 15.1, length of little hand 10.9 (both measured from back of pivot), external dimensions of door to pendulum H 16.6 W. 23.9, pendulum diameter 5.3.
,
,
,
Wall clock, pendulum, by J. Mason Limerick. Circular white dial with all details in black, "J. Mason" above hand pivot, "Limerick" below; Roman numerals for hours; double ring around the outside of the hours, divided into minutes with every fifth one marked with a triangle. Two holes in dial for winding. Hands held onto central pivot with a pin, both hands widen for a short distance from the pivot then narrow again to a Maltese cross with open centre and above the cross have a spearhead pointer. Dial held to wooden backing by three screws each with enamelled heads to match the dial. Flat glass door in front of dial, the glass being set in a brass ring, hinged at right; the hinge is welded to the ring but held in place against the wood surround by 3 brass screws; on opposite side to hinge is a projection which passes through the wooden surround and is held shut by a swivel latch on the reverse. The circular wooden surrounding head into which the dial is set is made in eight separate pieces, and veneered on the front in four pieces. The surround is set onto a case which projects some way below the surround, it is held in place by two projecting lengths of wood on the back of the surround which fit down the outside of the case and the whole is held onto the case by dowels passing through both pieces; although there are two dowel holes on either side there is only one dowel on each side. The front of the case below the dial surround has a glass fronted door, which opens upwards for access to the pendulum; there are two brass hinges at top both with two brass screws to each leaf; the door is closed at left, with a swinging hook on the side of the case, engaging a projecting panel pin on the side of the door; at the base of the door at centre is a round knob handle. The front of the door is also veneered. The glass of the door is held in place by a fretwork panel with a scroll design incorporating a central oval; this panel is held to the inside of the door with pins. The angle between the surround and the side of the case is also filled with a carved scroll-work, while immediately blow the glass door is a horizontal round bar, with onion shape finials at either end which project beyond the case. Below the round bar the front of the case curves to meet the back of the case. All of the visible woodwork is dark stained and varnished. The case back is of plain box construction held together with nails. At centre top is a loop of wire for hanging. The top of the back is stamped in black with an underlined "2" and there is a pencil inscription "Z2/1" below that. A yellow sticker inscribed in black felt-tip "282", its auction lot number, fell off during registration and is now inside the case. The pendulum is circular, with a decorated brass foil front over cast iron; the design has an outer ring of lozenges with nine fleurs-de-lis inside pointing inwards to a central circle; the back of the pendulum has an upstanding central projection with a slit through; a bent wire with one threaded end with a milled edge adjusting nut passes through the slit and hooks onto a wire from the mechanism. A brass winged key is loose in the case; the key is made in two parts, the wing set into a groove in a cylindrical shaft with square hole, to engage the winding mechanism, running up it; the wing is inscribed "Made in England" over an outline of the Ace of Spades with "P" at the centre, and below that the key size number "10". The key has vertical cracks at each corner of the square.