A FINE BIEDERMEIER GRANDE-SONNERIE STRIKING LONGCASE REGULATOR OF ONE-MONTH DURATION Joseph Matuschka, Iglau, circa 1825 The four pillar triple train month duration movement incorporating barrels extending through the backplate with the rear pivots facilitated by inverted arch-shaped sub plate spaced from the backplate by four pillars, the going train with Graham type deadbeat escapement incorporating tall inverted Y-shaped pallets regulated by brass lenticular bob pendulum with shaft formed from three hollow glass rods each with coloured velvet inserts and fitted with a brass clip for engaging with the crutch with cam-type beat adjustment, the quarter train sounding on one of the pair of graduated gongs positioned on a brass Y-shaped bracket behind the movement followed by the hour train sounding the last hour on the second gong, the 10.5 inch silvered brass Roman numeral dial with subsidiary seconds dial and signed JOSEPH MATUSCHKA IN IGLAU to centre, with decorative blued steel hands within fine engine-milled brass bezel, the architectural six-light boxwood edged figured birch veneered case with triangular pediment over square glazed hinged front panel and conforming fixed side glasses to hood, over trunk with small complex cornice mouldings to throat above glazed arched aperture to the removable front panel, flanked by slender architectural pilasters with Ionic inspired carved capitals and with further slender glass panels to sides, the base with concave top moulding over recessed panel to front and conforming moulded skirt. 207cm (81.5ins) high, 48cm (19ins) wide, 22cm (8.75ins) deep. Provenance: The Selwyn Demmy Collection. Joseph Matuschka was born in 1796 and died in Iglau, Czeckoslovakia in 1863. When compared with contemporary Austrian 'dachl' wall regulators the restrained simple architectural proportions of the case of the current lot would suggest that the present regulator was made around 1825. The triple glass rod pendulum shaft is highly unusual however makes sense with regards to use in a regulator as glass has a negligible temperature expansion coefficient. Another regulator by Matuschka, complete with a basically identical pendulum (apparently also incorporating coloured plush fabric cores to the rods), can currently be found in the stock of Stephen Andréewich, Vienna.