A Boston or Roxbury, Massachusetts line inlaid mahogany cased tall clock featuring a lunar dial. 224008

This is a nicely proportioned example of an inlaid mahogany-cased tall clock made in the Boston area of Massachusetts circa 1795.

This case exhibits traditional Boston proportions. This form was made popular by the Willard family of clockmakers and their apprentices. This fine example is not signed on the dial but was surely made by someone in this active community of clockmakers. This representative example stands approximately 96 inches tall to the top of the center finial. It is constructed of mahogany and retains an older shellac finish, accentuating the light brown shading of the wood. This case is also decorated with several thin line inlay patterns.

This classic example stands on four applied ogee bracket feet. They are applied directly to the bottom of the case onto the double-stepped base molding. The base panel is a line inlay. The rectangular pattern features inverse-cut or ovolo corners. This design is more complex than the pattern used on the waist door. In the center of the base panel is a paterae. This multi-bladed design features a sand-shading technique that provides visual depth to the pattern. The waist section is fitted with a rectangular-shaped waist door, trimmed with applied molding, and decorated with lined inlay. The sides or corners of the waist are fitted with inset brass stop-fluted quarter columns. They terminate in brass quarter capitals. The bonnet is fitted with a traditional New England-style fret pattern supported by three fluted and capped final plinths. Each supports a brass ball and spire finial. Fully turned and brass stop-fluted bonnet columns or colonnades visually support the arched bonnet molding. These are mounted in brass capitals and are free-standing. Tombstone-shaped sidelights are cut into the sides of the hood. They are fitted with glass. The arched bonnet door is also decorated with inlay and fitted with glass. It opens to access the painted iron dial.

This painted iron dial measures 13 inches across. It is skillfully decorated in bright colors and features traditional themes for this period. In the lunette is a lunar calendar. This is a visual display of the phases of the moon. Floral patterns decorate the four spandrel areas. The time track features Roman-hour-style numerals, separated from the Arabic five-minute markers by a dotted minute ring. A subsidiary seconds dial and a calendar display are inside the time ring. The steel hands are well formed. This dial has not been signed by the Maker.

This fine movement is constructed in brass and is of good quality. Four-turned pillars support the two brass plates. Hardened steel shafts support the polished steel pinions, brass gearing, grooved winding drums, and recoil escapement. The weight-driven movement is designed to run for eight days on a full wind. It is a two-train or time-and-strike design with a rack-and-snail striking system. As a result, it will strike each hour on the hour on a cast-iron bell mounted above the movement.

This clock was made circa 1795. It has the following dimensions in inches: overall height 96 ( 8 feet), width at the upper hood molding 21.5, and depth at this location 10.5.

Inventory number 224008.