Click image to view full screen
Cabinet Clock
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
In the 1700s and early 1800s, luxurious objects such as jewelry, miniatures, snuff boxes, and vanity cases emphasized their owner’s refinement and wealth. Especially popular were small cases with clocks and moving mechanical devices that played a handful of musical tunes. James Cox, the London goldsmith responsible for this clock and case, was known for creating such tuneful surprises, although this work no longer contains such a mechanism. Its glittering surface disguises a system based on the labor and suffering of enslaved people, whether in gold and stone mines or in shops where these goods were made by indentured apprentices. Many of these timepieces were designed for export and sold to the Chinese emperor Ch'ien Lung (1711–1799) and his court in attempt to balance out the substantial amount of tea that Britain was importing at the time.
| Artist / Maker | James Cox |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1770–75 |
| Culture / Origin | England, late 18th century |
| Medium | gold, agate, enamel dial, glass |
| Dimensions | Overall: 16.5 x 8.9 cm (6 1/2 x 3 1/2 in.) |
| Department | Decorative Art and Design |
| Type | Miscellaneous |
About the Artist
Though James Cox was celebrated during his lifetime, the date and place of birth are unknown. According to the Clockmaker's Records, J. Cox was established at the Racquet Court in London in 1749 and a trade-card now in the British Museum, engraved as his address Racquet Court, Fleet Street, at the sign of the Golden Urn. From 1756-1759 he was in partnership with the clockmaker Edward Grace when, according to a later trade-card in the British Museum, Cox was at… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
