English gold repousse verge with gold chatelaine Circa 1747

Gold repousse verge watch with gold chatelaine
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An English extremely rare 20 carat gold pair cased repousse verge watch with gold chatelaine, circa 1747, fire gilt full plate movement, verge escapement, decoratively pierced and engraved masked balance cock, square baluster pillars, fusee and chain, white enamel dial, Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute track, blued steel beetle and poker hands, plain gold inner case, gold repoussé outer case with asymmetric central cartouche depicting Apollo and the Cumaen Sibyl, bordered by flowers and shells, the bezel with similar scrolling floral and shell motifs, with original gold chatelaine, the clip depicting Apollo holding a rudder with a putto holding a laurel crown above, lower panels with scenes alluding to Apollo’s triumphs, pendant chains terminating in two rock crystal and gold scent bottles, with maker’s mark IW for John Ward, chatelaine clip with maker’s mark WH with a coronet above probably William Hudson, movement signed Chr. Jennymore, London
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Diameter: 49 mm   length of chatelaine 130 mm
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Signed: Chr. Jennymore London
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The repoussé scene to the outer case back depicts Apollo and the Cumaean Sibyl. Apollo fell in love the with Sibyl of Cumae in Southern Italy and offered to extend her life by as many years as there were grains of sand in a heap of dust, on condition that she gave herself to him. Sibyl refused Apollo’s advances and whilst he kept his promise, he denied the Cumaen Sibyl perpetual youth, consequently, she lived for centuries as a wizened old crone.  In the scene, Apollo is shown pouring the heap of dust into the Sibyl’s hand.

It is especially unusual to find a gold chatelaine, as the majority of surviving examples are of gilt metal, and rarer still to find one still with the watch for which is was originally made. The panels to the chatelaine continue the theme of Apollo, the uppermost showing him beneath a laurel crown, one of his attributes. There are two finely chased scent bottles suspended from the catches.