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750os.
JOHN KAYE, LIVERPOOL. A HIGH QUALITY MAHOGANY LONGCASE CLOCK WITH MOON PHASE. CIRCA 1780.

The impressive mahogany case is in the typical Liverpool style. The hood has swan necks with carved rosettes and inset panels of verre eglomisee glass and also to the centre, which is capped with a carved and cut draped moulding. The hood door has boxwood stringing and four Corinthian columns to the sides with gilt brass capitals. Below the hood is an elaborate concave and convex throat moulding and the trunk door has a shaped top with well chosen matched veneers and boxwood stringing. The sides of the trunk have reeded quarter columns. The base, which stands on ogee bracket feet, has a panel which also has well chosen veneers and boxwood stringing.

The brass breakarch dial has a latticed and oyster shell patterned centre and cherub spandrels to the four corners. The silvered chapter ring has engraved Roman numerals, Arabic five minute marks and date to the inner edge. It has finely cut blued steel hands, concentric arrowhead date hand and a counterbalanced centre seconds hand. The arch has a painted moon disc, silvered globes and a silver plaque signed "John Kay, Liverpool".

The eight day striking movement has deadbeat escapement which is planted in the centre of the plates which have four knopped pillars.

Height: 7" (231 cms.)

Price band: N

For this period and earlier it was common practice to have some variation in the spelling of names. It is interesting to note that G.H. Baillie in "Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World" records John Kaye as a clockmaker working in Liverpool between 1773 to 1811 and Brian Loomes also records John Kay(e) as working in Liverpool, Lancashire, from at least 1773 to 1796 and says "several fine quality eight day brass dial longcase clocks are known by him, some with moon work, centre calendar and centre seconds in grand Liverpool style mahogany cases."

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