Comitti - The Art of Time

49

The Sheraton Stick

Classic stick barometer, a style originally made by Comitti in 1860.
Mahogany cabinet with feathered veneer inlaid with “rope” edge line and
corner fans.

• Temperature compensated aneroid movement
• Silver plated dial calibrated in inches with millibars
• Yesterday and today trend scales
• Spirit thermometer with Fahrenheit scale
• Hand polished and waxed cabinet
• Glazed door and lacquered brass furniture
• Certificate of Authenticity
• Model B625

Height 38.5” (98cm)
Width 5.5” (14cm)

50

Comitti

London

The Regency Banjo

Regency “banjo” style barometer with clock. Burr walnut case with
ebonised edgeline and scroll pediment. Convex mirror option also available.

• Temperature compensated precision aneroid movement
• Silver finish 8” diameter dial calibrated in inches and millibars
• Spirit thermometer with Centigrade & Fahrenheit scale
• Humidity indicator and level
• Available with precision quartz clock or glass convex mirror
• Hand polished and waxed cabinet
• Bevelled glass and lacquered brass furniture
• Certificate of Authenticity
• Model BC270.8 with Clock & B270.8 with Mirror

Height 38” (96.5cm)
Width 10” (25.5cm)

51

Model B270.8. With Mirror. Mahogany Comitti

London

The Sheraton Banjo The Bracket Barometer

Sheraton style barometer originally made by Comitti in 1890. Curl Bracket barometer with matching Clock.
mahogany with inlaid shell marquetry and edgeline.
• Temperature compensated precision aneroid movement
• Temperature compensated precision aneroid movement • Enamel finish 8” diameter dial calibrated in inches and millibars
• Silver finish 6” diameter dial calibrated in inches and millibars • Hand polished solid mahogany case
• Spirit thermometer with Centigrade & Fahrenheit scale • Bevelled glass and lacquered brass furniture
• Hand polished and waxed cabinet • Matching clock available with precision quartz movement
• Bevelled glass and lacquered brass furniture • Certificate of Authenticity
• Certificate of Authenticity • Model B036.8 Barometer & C036Q Clock
• Model B568.6
Diameter 10.5” (26cm)
Height 28” (71cm)
Width 8” (20cm)

52

Comitti

London

53

Cabinet Making & French Polishing

It was the classical architecture of the 18th The finest quality seasoned solid hardwoods and
and 19th Century which inspired England’s exquisite veneers are selected for their natural
greatest furniture designers, Thomas beauty. The veneers are cut and matched, inlaid
Sheraton, George Hepplewhite and Thomas with marquetry and laid by hand so that each
Chippendale. Clockmakers were influenced by piece is unique.
the fashion for the finest quality cabinetwork The processes of hand French polishing are
created by these makers. employed to enhance the natural beauty of the
Georgian style and the skills of master cabinetwork. The pores of the wood surfaces
craftsmen such as veneer cutters and are filled and sanded using fine papers to create
marquetry makers were employed using exotic the base before applying the polish lacquers.
woods sourced from around the world to create Finally the surface is pulled over and rubbed
and decorate the visible areas of the finest with beeswax to achieve a rich natural patina.
clock cabinets. The longcase clock cabinets Manufactured by Comitti, the longcase clock
that are manufactured by Comitti today reflect is a work of art, a heritage piece that will be
all the skills and traditions of this bygone age. treasured by future generations.

54

Chinoiserie

In 18th Century London the fashionable set and burnished to achieve a ‘piano’ finish.
embraced a new art form that represented a Each Chinoiserie piece has a unique design
romantic interpretation of the Orient through created by the artist. The detail is marked out
a European perspective. The finest cabinet and gesso applied and shaped by hand to create
makers of the day fell under the spell of this the three dimensional relief. These areas are
art form that became popularly known as then sized, the gold leaf is laid and then the
Chinoiserie. Ownership of fine clocks and artwork created using colours from the artist’s
furniture decorated in Chinoiserie added pallet. Gold powders are used to create shading
glamour to the home, inferring worldliness and and ground work, and gold paint for the line-
sophistication. Comitti Chinoiserie clocks are work. Finally the artwork is sealed using gold
produced from solid cherry cabinets which are size, polished by hand and signed by the artist.
then lacquered in either black, green, red or Inspired by the Orient but with a very British
blue. Five layers are applied with light sanding heritage.
between coats. The surface is then pulled over

Marquetry

Marquetry is an art form that can be traced in England. It had an immediate influence
back to early Egyptian and Assyrian craftsmen over furniture designers and Longcase clock
and is essentially decoration achieved by cabinetwork in particular. For the first time
creating patterns or pictures from veneers furnishings for the home became aspirational,
of wood or other materials. The Zenith of driven by fashion and the highest standards
marquetry was in the late 17th and early 18th of design inspired by technical education
Century when the craft reached the status of and classic architecture. Comitti’s craftsmen
high art through royal patronage in France. continue to produce marquetry to these high
The arrival of William of Orange with his wife standards using traditional techniques and fine
Mary and their Court in 1689 established and rare woods. The time taken to create these
the fashion for this highly decorative craft intricate panels is measured in days and every
piece is unique.

55