Clocks · Longcase clock
Longcase clock by James Coster, Henley
- Maker / attribution
- James Coster (maker)
- Date
- c. 1785
- Historical period
- Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
- Country of origin
- England
- Place
- Henley
- Object type
- Longcase clock
- Materials / technique
- oak
- Dimensions
- Height 204 cm
- Stock no.
- Product 3385
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, The Antique Clock Company (product 3385)
- Catalogue title (original)
- JAMES COSTER OF HENLEY OAK LONGCASE CLOCK (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by The Antique Clock Company (dealer), Dorset (stock number Product 3385), this is a longcase clock by James Coster, made in Henley, England, dated c. 1785. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Clocks collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: oak. Recorded dimensions: Height 204 cm. The record is illustrated with 3 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — The Antique Clock Company
Discover the timeless elegance of this James Coster Oak Longcase Clock, a beautifully proportioned clock that embodies classic craftsmanship. The plain oak case is both understated and refined, featuring a break-arched hood, long trunk door, and reeded columns with intricate brass capitals and bases. The 12-inch break-arched painted dial showcases an early design with exquisite gilt detailing on raised gesso in the arch and corners, complemented by subsidiary seconds and calendar dials. The original blued steel hands feature a delicate diamond pattern, adding to the charm and authenticity of this remarkable timepiece. Beneath the elegant exterior lies an 8-day, weight-driven movement, skillfully designed to strike the hours on a bell via a rack and snail striking system with precision and grace. A harmonious blend of form and function, this longcase clock is a testament to James Coster’s legacy and craftsmanship. Perfect for collectors or as a distinguished centrepiece, this clock combines historical value with enduring beauty. Height: 80 ½” or 204 cm
Provenance
Private collection, UK
Historical context
Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
Harrison solves longitude; Mudge invents the lever; Breguet's Paris workshop defines the modern watch.
The age of the deadbeat escapement, compensated pendulums and observatory regulators. Domestic clocks spread through the middle classes: English longcase and bracket clocks, French gilt-bronze mantel clocks, Viennese Biedermeier wall clocks, Black Forest painted-shield clocks, and the first American shelf clocks.
Read the period in the timelineMore clocks from this periodEarlier: Early Modern Horology
Atlas type guide
Longcase (tall-case or grandfather) clocks
The longcase clock was born from two seventeenth-century innovations: Christiaan Huygens's pendulum (1656–57) and the anchor escapement (c. 1670). A long seconds pendulum, nearly a metre long, swings with a small arc, and enclosing it together with the driving weights in a tall wooden case protected the mechanism and created a new piece of furniture. London makers such as Ahasuerus Fromanteel, Thomas Tompion and Joseph Knibb set the pattern.
By the eighteenth century longcase clocks were made throughout Britain, the Netherlands, Scandinavia (the Swedish Mora clock), France (the Comtoise from the Franche-Comté), Germany and colonial America. Eight-day movements with two weights became standard in better clocks; thirty-hour clocks with one weight and a rope or chain were cheaper alternatives.
What to look for
- Winding holes in the dial: two (eight-day, going and striking) or none (thirty-hour, pulled up by a chain).
- Brass dials with applied chapter rings (earlier) versus painted iron 'white' dials (after c. 1770 in Britain).
- Moon-phase arches, date apertures, seconds dials and maker's name on the dial.
- Case woods and style: ebonised, walnut marquetry, lacquer, oak or mahogany; regional styles from London, Lancashire, Scotland or America.
- Whether the movement and dial match the case — 'marriages' are common.
Dating clues
- Square brass dials suggest c. 1670–1720; arched brass dials c. 1715–1790.
- Painted (white) dials were made by Birmingham dial-makers from about 1772.
- Comtoise clocks with repoussé pendulums are mostly nineteenth century.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Read next:Anchor (recoil) escapementDeadbeat escapementAnchor escapement
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