Description

A fine late 17^th Century English verge with Sun and Moon silver champleve dial in tortoiseshell and pique pair cases.  Deep full plate fire gilt movement with pillars.  Fusee and chain with worm and wheel barrel setup between the plates.  Pierced and engraved winged cock with mask, pierced and engraved foot.  Plain steel balance, silver regulator disc.  Fine blue steel disc inlaid with silver moon and stars and engraved gold sun.  The hours are indicated by the disc which rotates once every 24 hours.  This is viewed through a semi-circular aperture and has engraved on one half the gold sun and on the other the silver moon.  At the edge of the semi-circle the hours are marked from six through twelve and back to six in Roman numerals.  As the sun disappears at the right of the aperture the moon appears at the left. The lower half of the dial signed in an oval, decoratively chased and engraved . Plain silver inner case, silver pendant and ring bow, maker's mark “LB”.  Fine outer case covered in red tortoiseshell decorated with silver pique and delicate silver wire work depicting a scene of a church beside a river.