Typical, late 18C, "Manchester," very high quality, long door flame mahogany case of good rich colour and patination.Swan neck pediment with typical "flying saucer" finials, hand carved gilded paterae, red "silk" backed frets, cast brass Corinthian capitals, fluted hood columns with matching trunk quarter columns, flat fluted backsplats, dentil mouldings to sides of hood + front and sides of throat moulding.

Hood door with carved and gilded inner edge. Glorious flame veneers to the typically shaped top trunk door.Base with well chosen well figured veneerwork, the canted corners having moulded verticals.All set on ogee bracket feet.

13" breakarch brass dial with moonphases to arch + "moon sets at night" & "moon rises at night" - a detail not usually found, though often featured on Peter Clare's work. Well executed foxhunting scene to one part of moonphase disc and waterfall/river bridge scene to the other.

Cast brass rococo spandrels.Subsidiary seconds dial, subsidiary date dial with brass tipped hand to contrast with seconds hand. Signed Peter Clare Manchester to lower part of the engraved and silvered dial centre. Blued cut steel hands.

Good quality, 8 day 4 pillar movement with hourly ( rack ) striking.

Peter Clare of Manchester. Recorded born 1729, died 30th July 1799 ( "one of a Society of Quakers, a man of intrinsic merit as a mechanic and philosopher" ). He is further recorded as ( "one of that special band of clockmakers who were scientists, inventors, and in his case, educationalists" ). A very well researched, documented and respected man and clockmaker. Please see also LCMAH 293.