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A Fine Viennese inlaid rosewood grande-sonnerie striking regulator wall clock, W. Schonberger, Vienna, mid 19th century The four pillar triple train eight-day movement with deadbeat escapement incorporating tall inverted V-shaped pallets regulated by brass lenticular bob pendulum with ebonised wooden shaft and incorporating fine beat adjustment to crutch, the quarter train sounding on the smaller of the pair of graduated gongs positioned on a decorative brass T-shaped bracket behind the movement followed by the hour train sounding the last hour on the larger gong, the 7.5 inch circular two-piece silvered Roman numeral dial signed W. Schonberger, IN WIEN to the slightly recessed centre within gilt border and chapter ring with outer minute track, with delicately pierced blued steel hands within gilt repeating scroll motif cast bezel, the line-inlaid rosewood case with unusual foliate rococo scroll and shaped swan neck pedimented moulded composition crest stained to resemble rosewood over line-edged canted cornice and slender-framed full-height arch-glazed front door applied with conforming relief foliate-scroll infill to upper quadrants flanked by rounded angles applied with moulded fruiting vine decoration within stylised lozenge borders, the sides with slender short over long glazed panels the base with conforming canted section over inverted ogee caddy applied with further moulded panel decoration incorporating grotesque masks to angles and terminating with a scroll pendant, 149cm (58.75ins) high. Wenzel Schönberger was a citizen and master small clockmaker who worked in Vienna from 1847; he is further mentioned in 1852 and 1862 when he repaired the St. Stephens Cathedral tower clock. He is thought to have ceased working by 1885. He was a fine and relatively prolific maker of clocks primarily wall regulators including at least one year-going example. The current lot appears to be a relatively early example of his work.

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