96. $1800
Eli Terry Model 3 pillar & scroll, ca. 1820. This
was the first “production model” pillar and scroll made by Eli Terry and is referred to as the “outside escapement” model. As
you might guess, most of these early clocks have undergone significant restoration, and this one is no exception; as a result, distinguishing
old from new can be a challenge. The case itself is 27.5 inches tall without the brass urn finials (on screw posts). The finish is clean and I see no issues with the mahogany veneer on the front; the sides and front sides of the backwall are tiger
maple, matching the chimneys and center post. There is one repair to a scroll tip, and I cannot exclude the possibility that
the scroll top and the bottom skirt and feet are well-done replacements. There is a large working brass handle on the door. Both glasses have newer putty but are old glass; the tablet is old and has been retouched, and is similar to the tablets found on
other examples, where the gilt border is absent from the bottom edge (see 2021, 2022, and 2023). The wooden dial has been touched
up a bit and shows only modest soiling. There is a nice eagle and drum decoration below the mainstem. The hands are of
the proper style but are not pewter, and thus later issue. The 30-hour wooden movement mounts to the back of the dial; it is
not strung, so I could not test it. I see no damage to the wheels and pinions. There are wooden pulleys at the top of
the case. The weights are replacements; the pendulum bob is old. There is a good label behind plastic on the back wall;
it is a later production label, as is found most often. AAC has sold three of this model in the last several years (see the
links above), for $2750, $2103, and $2600. $1800–$2800.
Antique American Clocks JANUARY 2025