80.             $125

R. & J.B. Terry Eight Day Brass Clock, 1835-1837. Ralph and John Burnham were Samuel Terry’s sons, Ralph two years the elder.  Eli Terry was their uncle.  Both worked in their father’s shop until 1835, when he retired; they continued for two years as R & JB Terry, making 8-day brass clocks as found here.  This 38-inch case is typical of their most common work.  The mahogany veneer is clean and in good condition; it stands on new ball feet in front and peg feet in back.  The gilded gesso splat has been overpainted but some gilding shows through; the right chimney cap is missing and there are two period carved pineapples to go on top (not shown).  There are mock tortoise shell half-columns with gilding top and bottom, and gilded columns in the middle section.  The tortoise shell looks original and is in good condition, as is the gilding.  The three glasses are period with replaced putty, and the two glasses were painted by Tom Moberg.  Note the opening in the middle glass to view the DW Kellogg & Co. lithograph of “The Lady of the Lake”, on the backwall, made between 1830 and 1840; a later imprint of this lithograph (shown below) is housed in the National Museum of American History (Smithsonian Institution).  The Terry brothers liked dials with gilt chapter rings and spandrels, as found here; unfortunately, this wooden dial has been lacquered and has yellowed badly.  The minute hand is period but the hour hand appears to be a modern replacement. R & JB used early strap-brass movements, but here we find a rolled brass 8-day, time-and-strike movement with a solid brass backplate and a rack and snail strike.  It is unsigned but may be a replacement. It is running and striking as expected on a replacement wire gong.  There are two period 8 lb weights, a period pendulum bob with an embossed brass cover, and a good label inside.  AAC sold a similar example last winter for $402.  $125–$250.