Page 22 - Demo

KNIBB VS. FROMANTEEL DIALS
Between c.1662-1668/9 the Fromanteel and Knibb workshops made dials between 8 and 81⁄2 inches square. The reason they could make them so small was because the movements had verge escapements and short bob pendulums allowing the cases to be lovely and slender. However, once the anchor escapement came into production circa 1669/70 the cases had to be made wider to accommodate the long pendulum swing, proportionately the width of the hood increased and dial sizes increased to 91⁄2 – 10 inches square.
The corners of these very early longcase clock dials were either applied with winged cherub spandrels or they were engraved. Fromanteel tended towards applying spandrels, whilst Samuel and Joseph preferred engraving. Each Knibb spandrel engraving is entirely unique and on close examination it seems very likely that Joseph and Samuel shared the same engraver, In addition, such is the fine quality of the matting on both Samuel’s and Joseph’s dials, it seems highly likely the same engraver also matted their dial centres.
Joseph’s Oxford chapter rings are virtually identical to each other, with similar open fleur de lys style half hour markers, slightly squat hour chapters and slightly larger outer minute rings. By comparison the Fromanteel and Samuel Knibb chapter rings all have well-defined trident-style half hour markers, slightly longer hour chapters and slightly narrower outer minute rings.
Joseph’s signatures are an interesting mixture of:
Joseph Knibb Oxon
Joseph Knibb at Oxon
Joseph Knibb in Oxon
Perhaps the first two were used whilst he resided outside the city, in Oxon possibly referring to the period he spent within the city walls.
The appreciation of early hands can be subjective, owing to the question mark of originality. However it would appear that both Samuel and Joseph favoured a very lovely tight scalloped hour hand that the author R.A. Lee appropriately referred to as Oxford-style. Whilst Fromanteel’s hour hands tended to be less elaborate and arguably not so well defined.
SUMMARY
To conclude, the evidence suggests that, in Oxford, Samuel and Joseph used the same engraver and possibly the same dial maker. However, they may have made their own chapter rings. Conversely, Fromanteel’s dials were markedly different in virtually every aspect and he almost certainly had his made by different craftsmen.
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