Early Engraved Gilt-Bronze Strut Clock No. 565 by Thomas Cole for C.F. Hancock, circa 1850/51 A rare and exceptionally early engraved gilt-bronze strut clock by Thomas Cole (1800–1864), numbered 565, circa 1850-51 and signed for the celebrated London jeweller and silversmith C.F. Hancock. This remarkable clock represents one of the earliest forms of Thomas Cole's newly developed strut clock, dating from the formative period in which Cole conceived the design. The substantial rectangular gilt-bronze case is profusely hand engraved throughout with scrolling foliage, flowers, strapwork and geometric ornament. The decoration extends across virtually every visible surface, including the outer frame, sides, feet, folding rear strut and distinctive suspension handle. The extraordinary quality and density of the engraving are characteristic of Cole's earliest work and represent something of a tour de force of his abilities as both designer and craftsman. The large silvered dial is similarly decorated with elaborate foliate engraving, Roman numerals and finely formed blued steel hands, and is signed C. F. HANCOCK for the retailer. The ingenious case incorporates a folding suspension handle and Cole's characteristic rear easel strut, allowing the clock either to stand upon a table or to be suspended. The underside is stamped with Thomas Cole's early serial number 565. Thomas Cole and the Strut Clock Thomas Cole was one of the most inventive and accomplished English clockmakers of the Victorian period. He initially worked alongside his elder brother, the distinguished chronometer maker James Ferguson Cole, before establishing his independent career as a designer and maker of ornamental clocks. It was around 1845 that Thomas developed the clock form for which he would become most famous: the strut clock. His ingenious design placed a remarkably thin portable clock upon a folding easel support or “strut”, combining precision clockmaking with the appearance of an elaborate piece of decorative art. The development of these clocks was comprehensively documented by John B. Hawkins in his landmark 1975 study Thomas Cole & Victorian Clockmaking. Hawkins has subsequently considerably expanded and refined his research in The Hawkins Pictorial Survey of Cole Clocks, Parts I & II, revised 2025, incorporating numerous previously undocumented clocks discovered during the intervening fifty years. Number 565 places the present clock at the beginning of Cole's numbered production. Its exceptionally elaborate construction and extensive engraving are consistent with Hawkins' research into Cole's earliest strut clocks and support a date of circa 1850/51. Cole's strut clocks subsequently became one of the defining luxury clock forms of the Victorian period, and his work achieved international recognition at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the major international exhibitions that followed. C.F. Hancock The dial is signed for Charles Frederick Hancock, one of London's foremost Victorian jewellers and silversmiths. Hancock had previously been a partner in Hunt & Roskell before establishing his own business, and Thomas Cole is known to have supplied clocks bearing Hancock's name. The combination of Cole's exceptionally early serial number 565, the extraordinarily engraved case and the prestigious C.F. Hancock signature makes this a particularly important example from the earliest development of the celebrated Cole strut clock. 15cm High by 2.3cm deep by 10.2cm wide English, circa 1850/51 Literature: John B. Hawkins, Thomas Cole & Victorian Clockmaking, 1975. John B. Hawkins, The Hawkins Pictorial Survey of Cole Clocks, Parts I & II, revised 2025.