A FINE QUEEN-ANNE BURR WALNUT EIGHT-DAY LONGCASE CLOCK John Clark, London, circa 1710 The five finned pillar inside countwheel bell striking movement with anchor escapement regulated by seconds pendulum, the 12 inch square brass dial with subsidiary seconds dial, foliate border engraved calendar aperture and ringed winding holes to the finely matted centre within applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with stylised sword hilt half hour markers, Arabic five minutes to outer track and signed John Clark, London to lower edge, with scroll pierced steel hands and unusual spandrels each cast as a pair of cherubs holding aloft a mask, in a walnut case with gilt ball-and-spire finials to the domed caddy surmount above moulded cornice and foliate pierced fret to frieze, three-quarter columns with giltwood caps and bases to the glazed hood door, the sides with rectangular windows and rear quarter columns each set against bargeboard rising up to the underside of the cornice projection, the trunk with convex throat above 42 inch rectangular door with finely figured book-matched veneers within herringbone and crossbanded borders, the sides with single panels within crossbanded surrounds, the plinth base with ogee top moulding and conforming herringbone-bordered crossbanded veneered panel to front over later moulded skirt. 239cm (94ins) high excluding finials, 51cm (20ins) wide, 26cm (10.25ins) deep. Provenance: The Selwyn Demmy Collection. Four makers named John Clarke are recorded in Loomes, Brian Clockmakers of Britain 1286-1700 as working in London during the latter decade of the 17th century, however there is only one who would have appeared to have remained in business until around/after 1710. It is therefore most likely that the current lot was made by John Stanford Clark(e) who is recorded by Loomes as born in 1672 and apprenticed to Thomas Jones in 1683 gaining his freedom of the Clockmaker's Company in 1693. In 1697 John Stanford Clark(e) signed the Clockmakers' Company oath of allegiance in 1697 and took several apprentices between 1696 and 1718 hence was working at least until around 1720.