Jonathan Clark Brown was born in 1807. In 1832 he purchased interests in the Elias Ingraham and William Bartholomew Company. As a result, it became Bartholomew, Brown & Company and then later J.C. Brown when it moved from Forestville to Bristol, Connecticut in 1850.

This very desirable clock gets it’s name from the unusual shape of the case. If one looks closely at the top section of the case, you will notice the outline of an acorn form. In order to manufacture this wild shape, the case and sidearms are manufactured in a lamination process. If one looks closely, you will notice the use of light and dark woods that help accentuate the form. The color variations are actually separate pieces of wood the have been glued together under tremendous pressure with in a form. It is this process that allows one to achieve the exaggerated curves of the form. This example retains it’s original finish and as a result, the contrast has mellowed over the years. Overall, the patina is quite good. There are some areas of weakness in the finish on the base molding. This platform is veneered in rosewood. The graining is excellent. The entire front of the clock is hinged and used as an access down. It is fitted with paint decorated tablets. Both tablets are reverse painted and are original to this clock. The colors are excellent. The lower tablet is nicely decorated. The subject matter depicts a rural country scene including a gentleman sailing across a pond in a wooden boat. A mound is positioned in the foreground that is covered in florals. Several trees, and the majestic hills help form the background. A small country homestead is located on the left. This tablet has been cracked in the upper section on the right. This has been stabilized and professionally restored. The upper tablet is decorated with a border that helps frame the dial. The dial is painted on tin. “It is signed Forestville Mfg. Co. Forestville, USA.” Colorful florals are painted in each of the three corners. The movement is brass and is die-stamped by the Maker on the front plate. The movement is a time and strike design and features fully detached fusees. The fusees are mounted in the lower section of the case. This movement is designed to run eight days on a full wind and to strike each hour on a wire gong that is mounted inside the case. The original paper and paper label are affixed to the backboard. Both are in excellent condition. This clock was made circa 1835-1839.

This truly is an excellent example of a rare clock. It is not often that such a good examples surfaces in the marketplace. The vast majority of the examples that have surfaced in the last twenty years have all had fully repainted tablets which considerably affects the historic value of clocks like this one.