81.              $2500

Birge & Fuller miniature round gothic with wagon-spring movement, 1844-1848.  This is one of five known examples of this rare style of wagon spring double steeple; this clock was presented and discussed in an article by Gerald Siegel in the August 1995 NAWCC Bulletin.  The 21.5-inch mahogany case has an old finish with plenty of patina and two original candlesticks – note that it has a single candlestick on each side.  The button feet may be original; the dial glass is modern, the middle and lower glasses are almost certainly original, with a well-preserved Fenn frosted glass tablet in the middle and an original Fenn pattern in the lower glass, with considerable losses.  The paint on the contoured metal dial looks original and it has been cleaned, with some flaking and wear.  The hands are period and proper. The brass, 30-hour time-and-strike movement is unusual in that the time and strike trains are reversed, such that the strike winds on the right side and the time winds on the left.  The movement is unsigned and may have been made by Joseph Ives (see the 1992 reference by Ken Roberts below) and is typically found in this model.  It will run briefly but needs to be cleaned; the strike on the wire gong is strong.  It is driven by the 30-hour wagon-spring movement in the bottom of the case with the original small chains.  There is a good label behind the wagon spring.  This is the third example of this rare model I have been able to offer, with previous sales in 2023 ($2950) and last January ($2500); Schmitt Horan sold a similar example in 2020 for $3800. $2500-$4000.

Links to Bulletin articles on this model:

1956    1992     1995    1995

My consignor believes the dial, hands, and lower glasses are original on this clock.  I see no reason to doubt this.