Knibb Walnut Parquetry-Marquetry Longcase This beautiful clock is typical of Knibb in that everything that is done is done to the highest possible quality. Dr John C. Taylor, OBE FREng, horologist, inventor and creator of Clocktime Made around 1675 by clockmaker Joseph Knibb, this expertly crafted, month-going walnut longcase epitomises the height of fashion for its day.[1] It is also extremely complicated and includes an impressive array of ‘optional extras’ – expensive features added to cater to the elite tastes (and wallets) of Knibb’s most exclusive customers. It seems highly likely that this clock was priced at the top end of Knibb’s output. Historically, Knibb is an incredibly important clockmaker. Celebrated for his talent and inventiveness, he constantly pushed the boundaries of horological technology as he strove to produce clocks that were more accurate for less cost. He also developed an instantly recognisable, timelessly beautiful aesthetic for his designs. Impressively, Knibb probably produced more than 400 clocks over the course of his long career, maintaining a high standard of quality and beauty throughout.[2] Optional extras Knibb was a careful, intentional clockmaker and a savvy businessman. Complications and features were conceived and rendered with purpose, and Knibb charged accordingly for each and every one. Horologist and collector Dr John C. Taylor paints a picture of Knibb as offering his customers ‘a menu of optional extras’ – an itemised list of complications and features, individually priced, that could be included to order.[3] This walnut longcase includes numerous optional extras. Chief among them is its month-going complication, which enables the clock to run, without winding, for 32 days straight (Knibb gave the owner an extra day to wind the clock before it stopped). This ability is possible because Knibb engineered the clock to strike 4992 hour blows over the course of a month. At the time this was a major technical achievement, and only the most privileged clients could afford such a complication. This is probably why only 10% or so of Knibb’s output were month-going clocks. It is also why this clock was more expensive than most other Knibb clocks. Yet curiously, for all its complexity and optional extras, curiously, it does not have maintaining power – the mechanism for keeping a the clock going while it is being wound. Dr Taylor observes You’ve got the calendar, but you’ve got no maintaining power. Maintaining power was clearly an optional extra that was not included in this order.[4] The advantage of having maintaining power is that it keeps the pendulum swinging during the winding process, and this, in turn, facilitates the accurate and smooth running of the clock. Its absence from this particular clock is both surprising and fascinating. Being unable to go back in time and query the original owner, or Knibb himself, we will never know exactly why the choice was made to omit it. There is the possibility that Knibb thought the owner would not notice the absence of this feature, because the calendar was below the XII, the space usually occupied by a seconds dial. Also, based on the size of the pinions and the outside countwheel on the back of the movement, Dr Taylor argues ‘this was a very early iteration of Knibb’s month going movement design, so there’s still cost reduction that can be done.’ Perhaps the exclusion of maintaining power could have something to do with cost. This scenario seems to suggest that not using maintaining power might have been a way to compensate for the cost, as its absence would only be obvious when the clock underwent its monthly winding. This explanation seems unlikely, because Knibb produced many prototypes and was constantly innovating and inventing as a matter of practice. Surviving Knibb clocks in the record indicate that his customers were willing to opt in for new and complex features, even if these were in an early phase of development. For instance, Knibb’s Roman Striking Table Clock, made in 1677 (exhibited on Clocktime) probably marked the debut of his experimental Roman striking method. (Although this innovation achieved a cost reduction, interpretating the strikes was confusing, and therefore it failed to catch on.) Thus, Knibb does not appear to be a clockmaker who took shortcuts. In fact, he rigorously catered to his customers’ wishes and budgets; they received exactly what they paid for. Furthermore, Knibb’s optional extras approach was well established by the time this longcase was made. These considerations strongly support a second possibility, whereby the feature of maintaining power was an optional extra that the original patron did not choose to purchase. Such a scenario could provide intriguing insight into the mindset of this clock’s original owner. The inclusion of a month-going mechanism in an otherwise typical Knibb movement may have appealed to a customer attracted to the latest, most exciting cutting-edge technology – someone who simply wanted the most modern and best clock. Also, one of the benefits of a month-going clock was that it was less hassle. It required less frequent winding, and this, in turn, reduced the risk of accidentally letting the clock run down and having to reset it. During this time, resetting a clock to the correct time was a complicated and time-consuming process that included consultation of a sundial and Equation of Time calculations. A clock that spared its owners such inconveniences not only made their lives easier but also signalled their social status and wealth. Another way in which the clock’s original owner showed their position in society, and expressed their refined good taste, was by opting for the inclusion of numerous expensive decorations. These made a bold statement to any onlooker. They also certainly increased the novelty and worth of this clock. Thus, it is plausible that the owner chose not to opt-in to having maintaining power, because it was hardly new technology at the time, it made no obvious statement, and its absence was only obvious to whoever was winding the clock. These decorative elements were made by the wonderful collection of specialised skilled artisans with whom Knibb worked. Each was an expert on rendering an individual detail. Style and substance The longcase style was introduced during the late 1650s. Prior to this period, clocks were table clocks with box-like cases, typically ebony-veneered and constructed as plain-framed Puritan cases. For an example of a simple box clock, see the Early Pendulum Box Clock made by Ahasuerus Fromanteel around 1659 (exhibited on Clocktime). There were also ebony-veneered cases that were designed as miniature buildings with classical architectural features, such as Corinthian columns and pediments.[5] For an example of this case style, see the Denton Hall Fromanteel, also made by Fromanteel around 1657 (exhibited on Clocktime). Almost immediately, the design of the case evolved. These early cases were followed by hooded wall clocks and then, within a couple of years, the longcase form was introduced. The ebony-veneered Norfolk Fromanteel, which was made by Fromanteel around 1660 (exhibited on Clocktime), is one of the first of these early longcases, and its case is also the earliest known example of an architectural-format case.[6] In later years, during the 1670s, exotic woods such as olivewood, walnut and rosewood began being used for expensive clock cases and furniture. The rich warm hues and intricate, graceful grain patterns of these woods were in stark contrast to the more sober presentation of the earlier ebony-veneered cases mentioned above. Knibb’s Walnut Parquetry–Marquetry Longcase beautifully encapsulates this development of the form for high-end clocks. What is more, his use of walnut veneers indicated luxury and added to the value of his production based on the cost of the wood and the specialised nature of the veneering process. Although English walnut tees (Juglans regia) were plentiful and easily sourced, their wood was not ideal for woodworking. The trunk of this deciduous broadleaved tree (that can grow to a height of 35 m) is smooth and soft, with few ridges. For veneering, artisans coveted the black and dark walnut trees (Juglans nigra) native to North America, because of their hardness and grooves. These had to be imported, which was costly. The veneering process was also very expensive, compounding the cost. In woodworking, a veneer is a thin slice of wood or bark glued onto core wood panels to produce doors, cabinet tops and panels, floors, parts of other items of furniture, and clock cases. The harvesting process entails carefully cutting the wood with the aim of preserving as much as possible in one single action. The cutting is then divided, using a rotary cutter, into thick sheets, or slices. These slices are very thin, often less than 1.6 mm wide. The next stage of the process is to boil the slices at a specific temperature over a period of days. The slices are then dried to reduce their moisture content; this is crucial to prevent warping, cracking, and other malformations. Following this, the veneer is ‘backed’ with another material, such as paper, fabric or wood, to enhance its stability and durability. Finally, the veneer is sanded until its surface is smooth. Sometimes it is further treated with stains, dyes or coatings to enhance its appearance and protect its shiny surface. Once this process is complete, individual pieces of veneer are applied to a structure to for the purpose of decoration. Parquetry and marquetry are types of veneers. Parquetry is a veneering technique in which veneered inlays from different kinds of wood are arranged to form a geometric pattern. Marquetry is similar but with the difference that the inlays form more freeform patterns or figurative imagery. Knibb’s Walnut Parquetry–Marquetry Longcase features all of the above to dramatic effect. The case is decorated with delicate walnut oyster veneers throughout. In the top half of the trunk, above the glazed lenticle, are a pair of walnut and ebony wavy-edged roundel parquetry inlays. These surround an oval marquetry inlay of a bird in an urn filled with flowers and green-stained foliage. Occupying the space below the lenticle is a dramatic walnut and ebony parquetry inlay of an eight-point star. There are also parquetry inlays of walnut and ebony half star–shaped designs (paterae) in each of the trunk’s corners. These motifs carry over to the base, where a walnut and ebony parquetry inlay of a centred whole star (paterae) is showcased. Knibb also used walnut veneers for his longcase’s mouldings. Mouldings are a decorative architectural element. As well as being gorgeous in their own right, they act as a framing device for other features and provide visual continuity between different planes of the longcase structure, such as its hood and trunk. The shape of mouldings used for a longcase is also indicative of how the form of these clocks changed over time. Earlier clocks of the 1650s and 1660s tended to use single convex mouldings. By the 1690s, clockmakers favoured the use of single concave mouldings. The intervening period of the 1670s and 1680s is widely seen as a transitional phase in which moulding styles were mixed. Knibb’s Walnut Marquetry–Parquetry Longcase, made around 1675, sits firmly in this transitional phase. He used elaborate cross-grained walnut mouldings on the hood and convex throat mouldings framed by D-end cross-grain mouldings on the trunk. For other examples of sumptuously presented walnut-veneered longcases see the The Millbourn Tompion, made by Thomas Tompion around 1699, and the Musical Moonphase Longcase, made by Christopher Gould around 1701 (both are exhibited on Clocktime). The dial of Knibb’s Walnut Parquetry–Marquetry Longcase is also brimming with artfully rendered features, all of which were optional extras. In each corner are cast gilt cherub and scroll spandrels. The square date aperture, located just below the XII, is beautifully rendered in a curving shape that adds dimension to this feature. Typical of Knibb, the blued-steel hands are pierced and beautifully scalloped. Then there is the skeletonised chapter ring. Of all the decorative features on the dial, this is probably the most impressive. A skeletonised chapter ring is named as such because the brass background has been filed away, leaving only the ‘bones’ (e.g. engraved numbers and markers). To achieve this effect, Knibb (or one of his talented artisans) delicately filed around the engraved Roman numerals, half-hour markers, and thin inner and outer rings, thereby producing a single continuous cut-out. This is akin to making a very costly paper snowflake out of metal, while using handmade tools. The margin of error is razor thin. Skeletonised chapter rings are not only extremely difficult to make but also consequently require close-edged dial matting – a process that is similarly challenging as well as time consuming.[7] Thus, only the finest of the London clockmakers took on these tasks. Even then, their skills were reserved for their most high-end productions (and highest-paying clientele). Dr Taylor observes that Knibb’s skeletonised chapter ring is narrow in relation to the width of the dial. This frees up space in the corners, allowing for the use of the ‘wondrously complicated and detailed spandrels’, which are described above. Knibb’s Walnut Parquetry–Marquetry Longcase is a masterclass in style and substance. It is quite simply a clock of the highest quality, truly a top-of-the-line Knibb production. Dr Kristin Leith, Curator of Clocktime November 2025 End Notes [1] Bruton 1981, 132–133, pl. 82; Carter 2022, 144–149, Catalogue No. 22; Dawson et al. 1994, pl. 340; Garnier and Hollis 2018, 275, Catalogue No. 76; Hurcomb 1928, 45; Lee 1964, pls. 20 and 23. This well-known clock has been recorded, described and illustrated in various books for over 100 years. [2] Lee 1964, 204. [3] Dr John C Taylor 2025, personal communication. Also see the video that accompanies this exhibit. [4] Ibid. [5] Garnier 2018, 81–114. [6] Garnier and Hollis 2018, 175. [7] Carter 2022, 144. References Bruton, E. 1980. The Wetherfield Collection of Clocks: a guide to dating English clocks. London: NAG. Carter, J. 2022. The John C Taylor Collection: Part III (Selling Exhibition Catalogue, Carter Marsh & Co). Winchester: Carter Marsh & Co. Dawson, P. G., C. B. Drover and D. W. Parkes. 1994 [1982]. Early English Clocks: A discussion of domestic clocks up to the beginning of the eighteenth century. Woodbridge: The Antique Collectors’ Club. Garnier, R. and L. Hollis. 2018. Innovation & Collaboration: The early development of the pendulum clock in London. Isle of Man: Fromanteel Ltd. Hurcomb, W. E. 1928. The Wetherfield Collection of 222 Clocks. London: W. E. Hurcomb. Lee, R. A. 1964. ‘The Knibb Family, Clockmakers’ in Antiquarian Horology 7:4, 202–209.
