Birge & Fuller Four Candlestick Steeple on Steeple Clock with wagon spring power. 225133.

This is an excellent example of a four-candlestick steeple clock. It was manufactured by Birge & Fuller of Bristol, Connecticut. This model is highly collectible because of the clock's excellent condition and the inclusion of the wagon spring mechanism that powers it. 

The eight-day mechanism in this clock is constructed with brass, steel, and cast iron. It is a time-and-strike example that strikes the hour on a wire gong mounted inside the case. Where it differs is in how it is powered. The most common method for powering a Connecticut-made clock is with a coil spring. When one winds this clock, cords attached to the winding drums pull the cast-iron hoists and levers below it. These are supported by a substantial cast-iron frame. The winding process tensions the multileaf spring, which is secured to the bottom of the case with a large bolt. The additional mechanical devices must have been very costly to produce compared to the standard coil-spring-driven movement. All of this would have been an added cost. As a result, this clock probably didn't sell very well. Today, because of the limited number of clocks made and the survival of those that did, it is increasingly difficult to find good examples like this one. 

The clock case is veneered in mahogany and retains a mellow finish that enhances the lovely natural brown color of its wood. Both access doors are fitted with reverse-painted tablets. These are original to this clock and are in excellent condition. They feature traditional designs for this model. The background is frosted or opaque. Lightly formed decorations, including florals, floral wreaths, and ferns, are painted over this. As a result, one can almost see through them. This enables one to see the motion of the brass pendulum bob as it swings back and forth. 

The dial on this clock is painted on tin and features the traditional Roman numeral time ring on a slightly convex surface. Tri-foil hands tell the time. 

The Clockmaker's label and operation instructions are pasted on the backboard inside the case. It reads, "PATENT / ACCELERATING LEVER SPRING / EIGHT DAY BRASS CLOCKS, / Made and for sale Wholesale and Retailed by / BIRGE & FULLER, / BRISTOL, CONN. / WARRANTED IF WELL USED. / DIRECTIONS FOR REGULATING THE CLOCK. / If the Clock should run too slow, raise the pendulum ball by means of a / nut at the bottom of it, if to fast, lower the ball in the same manner: it / should be taken off to do it."

This case is elevated on four bun feet, with an overall height of 26 inches. The case is approximately 13.75 inches wide. 

This clock was made circa 1845, reflecting the craftsmanship and design sensibilities of mid-19th-century America, appealing to those interested in horological history. 

Inventory number 225133.