48.                   $2500

C & LC Ives “Patent Lever Brass Eight Day Clock”, 1830-1837.  Chauncey and Lawson’s most coveted clock, the wagon spring triple decker.  It is thought that only about six exist; the only triple decker clock that uses a wagon spring power source.  Chauncey was the youngest of the six Ives brothers, including Joseph, the inventor of the wagon spring; Lawson was their cousin (son of older brother Philo Ives).  In 1835 Chauncey and Lawson were 48 and 31 years old, respectively; Lawson ran the business, Chauncey made the movements, based on older brother Joseph’s experience, and Elias Ingraham provided the cases.  John Birge was a silent partner.  The 36-inch case has mahogany veneer, a bronze-stenciled splat with wood rosettes on the chimneys, two repainted columns bracketing the middle section with a period mirror, on small ball feet that look original.  The dial glass is period with newer putty, the bottom door glass is original with an extensively touched-up original tablet.  The wooden dial has a gilded chapter ring and some soiling; there are numerous signatures on the back indicating service and ownership, including a John Delaney, whose name I have seen before.  He must have owned a lot of clocks.  The hands are period and proper. The strap brass 8-day, time-and-strike movement is unsigned, with large brass wheels. It is running, barely, and striking on a wire gong.  The winding arbors are connected to the wagon spring arms with compounded cords running through small brass pulleys and anchored to the seat board; the pulleys are connected to the lift arms by rods.  There is a good paper label on the backboard.  AAC sold a similar example last summer for $4809.  $2500–$5000.