Stunning red and gilt chinoiserie lacquer long door case with Vauxhall plate mirror door. Exceptional and exquisite decoration - displaying finesse of the highest quality.

12" breakarch wheatear edge engraved brass dial with subsidiary dials - Strike/Not strike, Tunes/No tunes, plus starburst centre engraved conventional seconds.Conventional date box.

The exceptional movement with 5 knopped, finned and ringed pillars playing 6 tunes on 9 bells with hourly ( rack ) striking on a further single bell.

Henry Thornton of London recorded Clockmakers Company 1699.Longcase clock by him playing 6 tunes seen in Moscow. Mr. E. Alfred Jones mentions two large chiming clocks bearing his name, one in the Winter Palace at St. Petersburg, and the other in the Troitsa Monastery near Moscow. The collection of the Czar of Russia contained two watches by him, one a repeater, has a case of gold, the inner bears the hallmark for 1729/30, and the outer repousse decoration representing St. Christophorous.carrying the infant Jesus; it is suspended from a chatelaine, is of about the same period.Appears to have had a tie up with the Russian Royal family.