{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O78431"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78431/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM8131/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM8131/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM8131","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O78431/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O78431","accessionNumber":"M.119:1 to 3-1966","objectType":"Clock","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>This marble clock with mounts of patinated bronze and ormolu (gilt bronze) was made by Benjamin Vulliamy between December 1807 and February 1808 at the same time as two other clocks of similar design. The clock movement is signed 'VULLIAMY LONDON No 438'. The Vulliamy account book describes No. 438 as an Egyptian ornamented clock.<br><br><b>Design & Manufacture</b><br>The figures of Horus (an ancient Egytian god) and the serpents that decorate the base come from plates in Vivant Denon's <i>Voyage dans la Basse et la Haute Egypte</i>, published in London in 1802.<br><br>The account book lists the craftsmen who worked on the clock and the amounts they were paid: a craftsman named Houle was paid £8 for 'chasing the Sphinxes' (modelling them with a hammer and steel tools); the movement was supplied by a craftsman named Jackson and only cost £5 10s. The clock was sold to Princess Mary on 5 June 1812 for 50 guineas.<br><br><b>People</b><br>Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy (1780-1854) produced a number of bronzes in the Egyptian taste. These included a set of vases (garniture) in marble and bronze made about 1810, which inspired copies and models in Britain, France, and the United States throughout the 19th century. Thomas Hope (1769-1831), who did much to introduce the Egyptian style to England in the Regency period, was among Vulliamy's clients.","physicalDescription":"The Mastaba-shaped case of black marble with ormolu mouldings is supported on four bronze sphinxes which rest on an oblong black marble base. Applied to the front and sides of the base, ormolu serpents with sceptres flank a central hawk. The gilt-brass dial is encircled by another serpent with its tail in its mouth (a symbol of eternity). The dial has Roman numerals, holes for winding and regulating and blued steel hands with heart-shaped points. In each of the spandrels is a hawk and above the dial a winged sun disc with double uraeus.  The dial has cast raised chapters for hours and outside dots for minutes; the winding hole is above VI and the regulator hold pierces the top of XII. The slim steel hands have pierced heart-shaped outer ends. The eight day movement is reached through a circular opening in the back of the case fitted with a brass lid. The movement is signed on the backplate 'Vulliamy London No 438'.\nWith the clock is an additional  later base of ebony strengthened with strips of gilt brass along the edges. The top is covered with purple velvet and the bottom with black leather. In front is a gilt brass plate inscribed 'MARIA THERESA VILLIERS. PRESENTED ON HER MARRIAGE BY ERNEST AUGUSTUS KING OF HANOVER'.\n\nWith the clock are a modern steel key for winding, numbered 2 &amp; marked 'Made in England' with a letter P in a shaped frame; a steel watch key with a brass handle, for the regulation. It is numbered 11 and marked SWITZERLAND; steel pricked for cleaning the winding plate.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Vulliamy","id":"A9554"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy (1780-1854) succeeded his father Benjamin Vulliamy as head of the firm of Vulliamy and Sons and Clockmaker to the Crown an appointment obtained in 1742, which it held for 112 years.Vulliamy was elected associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers on 13 March 1838, was auditor for the year 1842, and obtained in 1846 a premium of books for a paper on railway clocks. He was made free of the Clockmakers' Company on 4 Dec. 1809, admitted to the livery in January 1810, and five times filled the office of Master. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society on 14 Jan. 1831, and retained his connection with the society till his death.Vulliamy was a man of refined taste in art, and possessed no small knowledge of architecture, paintings, and engravings. His library was extensive and well chosen, especially in that portion which related to his profession, and he possessed a valuable collection of ancient watches. He enriched the libraries of the Clockmakers' Company and of the Institution of Civil Engineers.To that Company he also gave numerous models and specimens of clocks and watches (now on loan to the Science Museum), and to the Institution he presented in 1847 the works of a clock made by Thomas Tompion about 1670 for Charles II, by whom it was given to Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (on display in the Clockmakers' Company Collection, Science Museum). On 1 March 1850 he exhibited to the Royal Archæological Institute six carvings in ivory by Fiammingo. He died on 8 January 1854, leaving two sons, Benjamin Lewis (1817–1886) and George John. Neither of his sons followed him in business and his stock of 170 gold watches and 100 clocks and cases was sold by Christie and Manson, King Street, St James’s on 8 June 1854 (Wikipedia accessed 3 April 2017)."}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"marble","id":"AAT11443"},{"text":"brass","id":"AAT10946"},{"text":"steel","id":"AAT133751"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"},{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Black marble, with dial and mounts of patinated and gilt bronze","categories":[{"text":"Clocks & Watches","id":"THES48976"}],"styles":[{"text":"Egyptian","id":"AAT21448"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006AM8131"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"120 (VA)","id":"THES49226"},"free":"","case":"CA7","shelf":"","box":"21"},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES303521"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES303493"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Clock","id":""}],[{"text":"Stand for clock","id":""}],[{"text":"Keys","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1807-1808","earliest":"1807-01-01","latest":"1808-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased in 1966","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"22.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"30.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"12.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"1 7/8 ","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"1966","earliest":"1966-01-01","latest":"1966-12-31"},"part":"depth of base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"VULLIAMY LONDON No.438","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed on the movement"},{"content":" MARIA THERESA VILLIERS. PRESENTED ON HER MARRIAGE BY ERNEST AUGUSTUS KING OF HANOVER","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In front inscribed on a gilt brass plate "}],"objectHistory":"Made in London by Benjamin Vulliamy, 74 Pall Mall, London. This is listed in the earlier of Vulliamy's (1747-1811) two Clock Books (1797-1806) which has 467 entries (both surviving books are owned by the British Horological Institute at Upton Hall, (see references). This is entry number 438 which was sold to HRH Princess Mary on 5 June 1812 for £50 (Public Record Office C.104/52,58), shortly after Vulliamy's son Benjamin Lewis (1780-1854) had taken over the business. This is the same as entries 414 (delivered in December 1807) and 432 (delivered in February 1808) and is therefore one of three examples of this model manufactured by Vulliamy.\n\nA plaque records that it was given in 1864 to Maria Theresa Villiers by Ernest Augustus II, King of Hanover (1845-1901), on the occasion of her marriage. Ernest Augustus succeeded his father George V (1851-1878) on his death so the plaque was added to the clock at least 14 years after its presentation to Miss Villiers.\n\nMaria Theresa Villiers (d. 27 February 1925) was the daughter of Hon. Edward Villiers, she married Captain William Earle of the Rifle Brigade at St. Paul's Knightsbridge 14 April 1864. (The Gentleman's Magazine, CCXVI, 1864, p.654; Burke's Peerage, 1963, p. 508)","historicalContext":"The clock was made for display on a mantel shelf above a fireplace.","briefDescription":"Clock with stand and keys, black marble with bronze dial and mounts, in the Egyptian style, made by Vulliamy & Son, London, 1807-1808","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Egyptomania : l'Egypte dans l'art occidental, 1730-1930</u> : Paris, Musée du Louvre 20 janvier - 18 avril 1994 ; Ottawa, Musée des beaux-arts du Canada 17 juin - 18 septembre 1994 ; Vienne, Kunsthistorisches Museum, 15 octobre 1994-15 janvier 1995 , no.145, pp.246-7"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Both surviving books are owned by the British Horological Institute at Upton Hall. Museum of Timekeeping:\n\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20230118192849/http://www.museumoftimekeeping.org.uk/the-collection/"}],"production":"The account book of Vulliamy lists the craftsmen who worked on the clock and the amounts they were paid: a craftsman named Houle was paid £8 for 'chasing the Sphinxes' (modelling them with a hammer and steel tools); the movement was supplied by a craftsman named Jackson and only cost £5 10s.\nThe Vulliamy Account Books for 1807-8 provide the following information on the manufacture of this clock which was finished and delivered on 4th March 1809:\nJackson the movement  £5 10  0 \nDay the case  £6 9 0\nOurtz (Jacob Ourtz, engraver and guillocheur or engine-turner) was paid £1. 10. 0 for 'guil.g' - ie. 'guilloching' or decorating the dial with engine-turning.\nJacot turning dial and ring  5s 6d\nHoule snake to go round dial 8s 0d\nBarnet casting snake 9s\nCouling filing up the little Egyptian ornaments  £2 0 0\nBarnett casting the 4 Sphinxes £1 1 6 \nCouling filing the 4 Sphinxes £2 8 0 \nCaney chasing same £4 4 0 \nBarnett casting the little ornaments 3s 6d\nBarket chasing the little ornaments 14s 0d\nHoule chasing the Sphinxes  £8 0 0\nButler filing up the mouldings 3s 6d\nSeagrave gilding £3 1s 6d\nSeagrave bronzing the sphinxes 12s 0d\nSwift filing up steel hands 8s 0d\nBrownly the stand  16s 6d\nOsburn the shade £1 15s 0d\n\nThe clock was sold to Princess Mary on 5 June 1812 for 50 guineas.","productionType":{"text":"Limited edition","id":"THES48862"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"LONDON","id":"x28980"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Vulliamy, Benjamin Lewis","id":"A8958"}],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Ernest Augustus II, King of Hanover","id":"N2181"},{"text":"Mary (Princess)","id":"AUTH348339"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Time","id":"AAT133089"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nThe design of the serpents and the Egyptian sun god Horus was based on engravings published by Baron Vivant Denon, published in 1802, in his 'Voyages dans la Basse et la Haute Egypte'. This was an account of the recent French archaeological investigations in Egypt. Manufacturers such as Vulliamy used these motifs to decorate a wide variety of popular goods.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["M.119:1-1966","M.119:2-1966","M.119:3-1966"],"accessionNumberNum":"119","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1966,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Pattern number","id":"THES50639"},"number":"438"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Clock","Stand for clock","Keys"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-06","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-27","availableToBook":false}}