In the mid 17th century the invention of the pendulum marked a significant step forward in the measuring of time. The first English-made mechanisms used a pallet type escapement as a regulator. Their pendulums were short, with long arcs. With the invention of the anchor escapement, arc length decreased and it became possible to conceal the mechanism inside a wooden case. The cabinet makers of the time created a new type of furnishing that also served to protect the clock's works from dust and thus stop it from malfunctioning. Soon English-made grandfather clocks began to appear everywhere, becoming one of the most sought-after types of time-piece in Europe. They stood out for the perfection of their machinery and, as in this case, the beauty of their cases.

The hispanicised signature of English clockmaker ‘Diego’ Evans appears on the glass of this particular grandfather (or 'long-case') clock. The lacquered wood case is decorated with Chinese-inspired motifs. The hood has a pagoda-type top and three plinths: one in the centre and one on each side. These may originally have been topped by a finial in the form of a ball or urn. Two lacquered wood columns with Doric capitals made of blued metal flank the glass door that protects the face.  The perimeter of the door is also made of lacquered wood. The face, as usual, is made of gilded brass. The hour dial is silver, with black enamelled Roman hour and Arabic minute digits, with the latter in intervals of five. The interior of the dial is decorated with the granulated effect typical of English clockmaking. The second hand is in a secondary face below the numeral XII. A rectangular window above the VI shows a calendar. Completing the face are the stem of the hands and two keyholes for winding the clock. A rectangular panel below the stem bears the maker's name: 'Diego Evans / Bolsa Real / Londres'. The blued metal hands are decorated with an openwork design. Above the main dial is an auxiliary dial to activate or silence the chimes. The rest of the face is decorated with openwork metal plates with plant motifs. The lettering is in Spanish.

The trunk below the hood is straight, and the base is rectangular with plain moulding around Chinese-style designs lacquered in black and gold. The case has a front-opening door with moulded edging and a lock, behind which the pendulum can be seen. The works are English, with rectangular strips bearing two wheel trains: one for the time and the other for the chimes. The time wheel train is adjusted with an anchor and pendulum movement. The chimes wheel train gives the hours and half-hours, and is adjusted via the fly.

This is a long-case or grandfather clock in a typical English Chippendale style, produced in the second half of the 18th century and decorated with Chinese-style motifs. The picture on the front of the trunk seeks to give a feeling of depth through a landscape of buildings and gardens laid out in terraces. There are also a number of figures scattered throughout the scene. At the top the sun is shown shining through clouds. Unusually for a clock made at that time, the side panels of the trunk are not decorated.

This style of case was made for sale in Europe, and reflects the 'costumbrist' versions of oriental art which were widely distributed there in the 18th century. There was so much demand for it that in Germany imitation cases were made in which the expensive lacquer was replaced by layers of varnished plaster. The clock appears in an inventory of furniture dated 1827 taken at the offices of the Payments Department of the Banco Nacional de San Carlos. It is mentioned again in an inventory dated 4 January 1851 as decorating the 'Pieza Corrida de Contador' ['Long Room in Accounting'].

Amelia Aranda Huete