4. $750
Eli Terry pillar
& scroll, ca. 1822. Terry developed the pillar & scroll clock with the standard five-wheel train movement about
1822. He formed a partnership with his sons Eli Jr. and Henry in 1823, so there weren’t a lot of these 5-wheel clocks made
with just Eli Terry’s name. The case is 32.5 inches tall (measurement includes the brass urn finial); note that the dimensions
of this clock differ from later pillar & scrolls: here the door measures 22.125 inches tall by 13.125 inches wide, while
on #6, a later Eli Terry P&S, the door measures 20.75 inches tall and 13 inches wide. This difference is evident in the
photo below. There are some repairs to the mahogany veneer on the door crossbar; this clock has a turn-latch on the door rather
than the more common ivory escutcheon and key. The scroll-top shows no evidence of repair from the front, with seams at
the tips from the back; it is possible that the veneer was replaced long ago. The feet and skirt look original. The brass
urn finials mount on wooden posts and are the correct style for Terry. The dial glass is modern, held in place with wooden
strips; the lower glass is period, also held in place with wooden strips and a very nicely repainted tablet. The wooden dial
is clean with some fading to the numerals, and it bears a gilded and painted eagle above the mainstem and typical of Eli Terry clocks;
note also the painted spandrels. The hands are period and proper but probably not original. The 30-hour time-and-strike
wooden movement is running and striking on an iron bell. There is an old pendulum bob and two period weights. The
label is the very early type used briefly in Terry’s first 5-wheel clocks (Roberts & Taylor, Eli Terry and the Connecticut Shelf
Clock, pages 104-105). I have sold two other Eli Terry clocks with this label in 2020 ($986) and 2025 ($1700). A very
nice example of a rare clock by the most famous maker of the period. $750-$1500.
Antique American Clocks JULY 2026
Looking for an easy way to save the clocks you like?
Here's an easy way to keep track of your favorite clocks: Open/download the Bid Form PDF onto your computer (it should open in a new window) and type in the clocks you want to save. Right click to 'save as', or click the download arrow in the top right corner of your browser window, and you can save the filled-in form on your computer - I recommend your desktop. It will be easy to find and you can open it any time to add or subtract clocks from the list. When you are ready to go, your bid form will be too!
Antique American Clocks - What's not to like?