John Braund, Hatherleigh – 1823
£4,250.00
A Charming Automaton Adam and Eve West Country Oak Eight-Day Longcase Clock.
John Braund is recorded working in the High Street at Hatherleigh from at least 1823. Hatherleigh, a small but historically active market town in Devon, supported a number of skilled rural craftsmen during the early 19th century, and Braund’s work stands as a particularly characterful example of West Country vernacular clockmaking.
The oak case is attractively proportioned and enriched with decorative inlay typical of the region. The trunk door and base are centred with a striking boxwood and ebony star motif, accompanied by ebony line inlay and fluted boxwood quarter columns, all framed with mahogany cross banding. The break-arch hood, with its gently curved cornice, is supported by turned and capped oak pillars, lending the clock a pleasing balance of solidity and refinement.
The 12-inch break-arch cream painted dial is delicately decorated with a cornucopia spilling fruit and wild flowers, the painting retaining a lively and confident hand. Below the gilt-edged date aperture the dial is flamboyantly signed in script by the maker. A pair of polished brass hands indicate the time over a neatly arranged subsidiary seconds dial.
Most delightful of all is the recessed painted scene within the arch. Here an automaton Adam is depicted being tempted by Eve, surrounded by a bemused lion, camel, rabbits and other attentive creatures — a theatrical and engaging composition that lifts the clock beyond the purely functional. The animation, when present and working, adds further charm to what is already a highly individual piece.
Mechanically, the clock is of eight-day duration, representative of the solid, workmanlike construction associated with provincial Devon makers of the period.
An absolutely charming and visually engaging example of early 19th-century West Country clockmaking — rich in regional character and decorative appeal.
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