104. $2500
Massachusetts shelf clock, ca. 1820. A 34.5-inch-tall
clock (with the period brass urn finial) in mahogany with a fine finish. I think both glasses are original with the original
reverse paintings, but I can’t exclude possible in-painting; there are scattered losses to the top glass, but the lower glass is protected
by the front wall of the case. The lower glass has cracked in the upper left corner but has been stabilized, and the cracks
are not very noticeable. There is no maker signature on the glasses or anywhere that I can find; the tablet bears the number
‘752’ on the back of the top frame, and it matches the number on the inside top of the backboard. The painted, dished dial is
in good shape, the delicate carved hands match. The 8-day, time-and-alarm movement is running without problem, driven by a 9-lb
lead weight. There is also a brass alarm weight. The alarm was not tested, it strikes on a nickel bell above the movement. As best I can tell everything is original here, from the carved scrolls at the top to the small brass paw feet in front (and turned
half-feet in the back). $2500-$4000.
Antique American Clocks July 2022
