A fine late 17th century ebony architectural longcase clock John Fromanteel, London The architectural case with triangular pediment supported by Composite columns and centred by a typical Fromanteel shield mount over spirally twisted turned columns, three quarter to the front and quarter to the rear, over a 42-inch long trunk door with raised moulded edge framing proud panels and a moulded octagonal lenticle over a plain rectangular base on bun feet. The ten inch square brass dial signed along the lower edge 'Johannes Fromanteel, Londini fecit' with winged cherubs head spandrels framing the narrow silvered chapter ring with outer Arabic minute track, Roman hours and inner quarter hour track divided by fleur-de-lyse half-hour markers, the finely matted centre with large Arabic subsidiary seconds dial, matted shutters and chamfered date aperture, with blued steel hands, and four latched dial feet. The weight driven movement with tall rectangular plates measuring 19cms x 12cms (7.5ins x 4.75ins) united by five knopped and ringed pillars latched to the frontplate, the going train with bolt-and-shutter maintaining power and anchor escapement, the strike train with outside countwheel sounding the hour on a bell, further mounted on the backplate with an L-shaped brass bracket to allow secure fixing to the backboard of the case. 1.95m (6ft 4.5ins) high. Footnotes: Comparable longcase clocks by John Fromanteel feature in Garnier & Hollis: 'Innovation & Collaboration' An exhibition held at Bonhams London, September 2018, Exhibit numbers 55, 60, 77 and 78. Two others are illustrated in The Iden Collection, Volume 1, Nos. 9. and 10. Ahasuerus Fromanteel's 1658 advert has ensured that his name will be forever associated with the introduction of the pendulum clock to Britain, but one could argue that a more involved role was played by his lesser-known son John. It was after all, John, and not Ahasuerus, who travelled to The Hague in September 1657 and worked alongside Salomon Coster at the bench in his workshop, discussing the technologies before him. It was John who returned to London and imparted the knowledge to his father and he was surely involved in the production and finishing of those earliest clocks such as the sublime 'Cupid Fromanteel' sold in these rooms June 2011. John was the eldest of three sons. He was born in 1638 and apprenticed to his father in April 1652 at the age of fourteen. He later transferred to his brother-in-law, Thomas Loomes from whom he was freed in July 1663. He died sometime before 1692.( See Loomes, 'Clockmakers of Britain', Mayfield Books, 2014, p208) It has been suggested that those clocks signed by him were made between circa 1667 when his father left for Holland, and circa 1680 when he moved with his brother (Ahasuerus II) to Vijendam, Amsterdam, giving a window of production of only 12 years or so. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP TP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com