H: 24.5 in / 62 cm
Description
Constructed from gilt brass, the trunnion plinth of costly coromandel wood, the cannon engraved with a military trophy atop, the muzzle set with a silvered dial modelled as a cannon ball, its curved blued steel hands denoting the hours in Roman numerals; the muzzle insert removable to access the going barrel movement, lever escapement and steel balance alongside its winder. Signed and numbered by the maker.
Circa 1860
Thomas Cole (1800-1864)
Son of Thomas Cole Snr, a Somerset clockmaker, Cole is known as a specialist in making decorative timepieces of the highest quality. He exhibited at the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in 1851; he warranted an 'honourable mention' in the Paris Exposition universelle of 1855 and the London 1862 International Exhibition, where he was awarded a medal for 'excellence of taste and design'.
