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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Table clock

Thomas Tompion gilt metal mounted ebony veneered quarter repeating table clock, Number 181

Partially verified

This late 17th-century English table clock, made circa 1691 by Thomas Tompion and identified by the source as workshop Number 181, is housed in an ebony-veneered case with a caddy top, tied-bud handle, sound frets, and glazed side apertures. The 8 by 7 inch gilt brass dial features twin subsidiary regulation and strike/silent dials, winged cherub and scroll spandrels, a mock pendulum aperture, and a silvered chapter ring. The eight-day twin gut fusee movement utilizes seven latched pillars and a pivoted verge escapement, striking the hours and repeating quarters on bells.

Front three-quarter view of the Thomas Tompion ebony-veneered quarter repeating table clock
Front three-quarter view of the Thomas Tompion ebony-veneered quarter repeating table clock — Bonhams. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.bonhams.com
Category
Clock · Table clock
Maker / attribution
Thomas Tompion
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
82
Source-reported date
circa 1691
Country
United Kingdom
Source-reported serial
181

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Case Construction

The ebony-veneered case features a caddy top surmounted by a tied-bud carrying handle. The front door includes a silk-backed foliate scroll sound fret and harebell escutcheons, supported by a well-moulded cornice and a base with block feet.

The side panels are fitted with rectangular glazed apertures and pierced wood frets. The rear door is constructed with a simple moulded edge and integrated lock.

Evidence for this section
  • “The caddy top surmounted by a tied-bud handle over fine mouldings to the caddy base framed by a well moulded cornice”
  • “the front door with a silk-backed foliate scroll sound fret over harebell escutcheons, the sides with rectangular glazed panels and pierced wood frets”
  • “the rear door with lock and plain moulded edge, all on a moulded base and block feet.”

Dial and Ornamentation

The 8 by 7 inch gilt brass dial features a matted center and is signed along the lower edge. It includes a silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with a minute track and 'meeting arrow head' half-hour markers.

The dial layout incorporates a mock pendulum aperture and twin subsidiary dials for regulation and strike/silent selection. Ornamentation consists of winged cherub-head spandrels at the lower corners and scroll spandrels at the top.

Evidence for this section
  • “The gilt brass rectangular dial measuring 8 inches by 7 inches”
  • “Signed along the lower edge Tho: Tompion Londini Fecit .”
  • “Very finely matted centre with a crisply chamfered mock pendulum aperture”
  • “winged cherubs heads to the bottom”

Movement Mechanism

The eight-day twin gut fusee movement is secured to the dial via three latched feet. It features seven knopped and ringed latched pillars and a pivoted verge escapement.

The movement strikes the hours on a large bell and repeats quarters on a smaller bell via pull cords. The rear plate is signed within a rectangular cartouche and decorated with foliate scrollwork and bell flowers.

Evidence for this section
  • “The eight-day twin gut fusee movement united by seven knopped and ringed latched pillars”
  • “the going train with pivoted verge escapement”
  • “the rack strike train announcing the hours on a large bell”
  • “Signed in a low rectangular cartouche Thomas Tompion Londini Fecit , framed by a cross-hatched pair of scrolls set within a symmetrical pattern of foliate scrolls and hanging bell flowers”

Open research questions

  • What is the source of the attribution of the backplate engraving to 'Graver 155'?
  • Are there records describing the specific process or equipment used for the reported removal of the serial number?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Thomas Tompion gilt metal mounted ebony veneered quarter repeating table clock, Number 181
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerThomas Tompion“Thomas Tompion, London.”
Workshop Number181“When it originally left the Tompion workshop it was given the number 181.”
Dial SignatureTho: Tompion Londini Fecit“Signed along the lower edge Tho: Tompion Londini Fecit .”
Movement MechanismEight-day twin gut fusee with verge escapement“The eight-day twin gut fusee movement united by seven knopped and ringed latched pillars, the slightly smaller frontplate with typical cut-outto accommodate the quarter repeating work; the going train with pivoted verge escapement”
Height39 cm (15.5 inches)“39cms (15.5ins) high.”

Visible details

  • Ebony-veneered caddy-top case surmounted by a gilt tied-bud carrying handle
  • Gilt brass dial plate with silvered chapter ring, matted center, and twin upper subsidiary dials
  • Curved mock pendulum aperture situated directly above the center arbor
  • Foliate sound frets positioned above the dial and at the upper side case panels
  • Winged cherub-head spandrels mounted at the lower dial corners

Research qualifications

  • The source states the engraved workshop number was expertly removed from the backplate prior to its modern recovery
  • Movement details, rear plate signature, and latched pillars are not visible in the primary frontal photograph

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Bonhams : A fine and rare late 17th century gilt metal mounted ebony veneered, quarter repeating table clock. Thomas Tompion, London. Number 181.

Reviewed 2026-10-22 · Record a05c3593cc

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Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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