Y A GILT BRASS MOUNTED EBONY BASKET-TOP TABLE TIMEPIECE WITH SKELETONISED DIAL The movement by Phillips Brothers, London, circa 1840, the case and dial circa 1680 The four columnar pillar single chain fusee movement with anchor escapement regulated by lenticular bob pendulum with holdfast over engraved signature Phillips Brothers, 31 COCKSPUR STR'T and number 1123 to backplate, the six inche square gilt brass dial with high-position calendar aperture to the matted centre within applied silvered skeletonised chapter ring incoporating Arabic five minutes within the outer minute track, with fine sculpted steel scroll-pierced hands and small winged cherub mask spandrels to angles, the case with teardrop-centred leaf cast hinged carrying handle to the gilt repousse domed superstructure decorated with Ho-Ho bird and winged putti inhabited pierced scrolling foliate flanked by acanthus leaves to angles, over simple cushion top moulding and scroll-pierced stretched lozenge-shaped sound fret to the upper rail of the glazed front door flanked by slender free-standing Doric columns with gilt caps and bases to angles, the sides with vacant cartouche centred foliate scroll relief decorated repousse sound frets, the rear with rectangular glazed door set within the frame of the case and with further columns to angles, on torus moulded shallow skirt base with gilt disc feet. 31.5cm (12.5ins) high excluding handle, 24cm (9.5ins) wide, 16.5cm (6.5ins) deep. The Phillips Brothers are recorded in Loomes, Brian Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World, Volume 2 as working in London 1839-69 however online sources suggest that they were at 31 Cockspur Street until 1842. The dial and case of the current lot appear to date from the early 1680's. The case is unusual in having columns at the angles; however there is no evidence in the construction of the case to indicate that they are later additions. Indeed it is likely that these are a 'hangover' from the previous architectural period of table clock design which were phased-out during the second half of the 1670's as spring clocks became smaller and more portable. This most likely coincided with the increasing use of repeat-work which rendered spring clocks useful at night as well as during the day hence a need for increased portability to allow them to be taken upstairs at the end of each evening. The unusual design of the handle can be directly compared to that on a timepiece by John Wise (dating to around 1668) illustrated in Darken, Jeff (editor) Horological Masterworks on pages 82 and 83; whilst the relatively simple cushion mouldings are reminiscent of cases housing movements by Henry Jones (see Dawson, P.G., Drover C.B. and Parkes, D.W. Early English Clocks pages 425-26, Plates 611-12). Another case with closely related mouldings and a basket top (and also with skeletonised dial), this time for a timepiece by James Markwick, is also illustrated in Early English Clocks, on page 428 (Plate 619). Although the movement in the current lot is a 19th century replacement the installation is of very high quality and does not detract from the external appearance of the clock in anyway.