A Federal Mahogany Tall Case Clock with a complex inlay design, select figured mahogany veneers, and a star-inlaid scroll-board. The cabinet is attributed to Wood & Taylor of Florida, New York, circa 1810. UU-95.
This exceptional, unsigned early Neoclassical example closely resembles a clock in the New York State Museum in Albany, illustrated in Scherer, New York Furniture: The Federal Period, 1788-1825 (Albany, 1988). That clock is notable for retaining a Wood & Taylor label pasted inside its case. Several other similar clocks are known.
This case is among the most developed of the sixteen related examples we know of. We categorize these distinctive cases by the number of stars in the inlay design; this is currently the only one recorded with ten stars and having the initials “JDC” inlaid in the arches. The case is made of mahogany and features inlay patterns of satinwood, ebony, boxwood, and dyed woods, arranged across various panels and designs. The case coloring has lightened over time, unifying the tones of the various woods. Traditional features of this case form include the tall, delicate flared French feet, which continue to form a double-drop apron below the base. The base panel is framed and features quarter-round inlays in each corner. Below the waist door is an applied Irish panel. The quarter columns are smoothly turned and inlaid along their length. The capitals and bases are turned. Below these columns are blocks decorated with inlaid astragal-ended satinwood rectangles. This design detail is repeated above the distinctive waist door, matching the base and the Irish panel inlay. The high-pitched, narrow swan-neck pediment features star inlays in the tympanum, supported by smoothly turned hood columns. These features are typical of high-style clock case construction in New York and New Jersey. This example stands out for the number and quality of its inlay patterns. Notably, ten stars are inlaid into the tympanum, and the crest displays the initials “JDC,” who may have been the original owner.
The painted iron dial is well presented, with conch shell decorations in the four spandrel areas and the lunette. The color combination of gold, pink, and green is cheerful. Five-minute positions are marked in Arabic numerals, separated from the Roman-style hour numerals by a slashed minute ring. Traditionally formed steel hands indicate the time. A subsidiary seconds dial and a calendar display are in their customary locations.
The movement features four turned pillars supporting two brass plates with shaped cutouts at the bottom. These plates hold hardened-steel shafts, polished-steel pinions, brass gearing, a recoil escapement, and smooth-winding drums. The two-train design uses a rack-and-snail striking system that strikes each hour on a cast-iron bell mounted above the movement. It is weight-powered and runs for eight days before needing a rewind. The movement includes its original steel shaft pendulum with a brass-capped lead bob, rests on a wooden saddle board, and is original to the case. It has recently been serviced and is in excellent running condition.
This clock stands 96 inches tall. At the upper bonnet molding, the case measures 20.25 inches wide and 10.5 inches deep.
Inventory number UU-95.
Robert Wood, James S., and Jacob S. Taylor were cabinetmakers who first worked independently in New York City from 1808 to 1810. In 1810, they both fled the city during a smallpox epidemic. It is recorded that in 1810, they settled in the small village of Florida, New York, in Orange County, for a short time. The New York City directories list Robert Wood as a registered cabinetmaker working in New York from 1808 to 1818. A James Taylor is also listed in the city in 1802-1804 and again in 1812-1819. The 1820 census lists Wood as returning to New York City, and Taylor as working in Goshen, NY. The village of Goshen is located 5 miles from Florida. We now know of a small number of these clock cases that can be attributed to these cabinetmakers. Interestingly, a fair number of these cases are fitted with movements that feature a short pendulum and are attributed to the Newburgh, New York area.
The Wood & Taylor form features narrow proportions and is coupled with the design format and layout of the numerous inlay patterns. The style is typical of Hepplewhite tall clocks made in New York or, more properly, New York City and northern New Jersey. The form is characterized by high-pitched, elevated, and very graceful or narrow swan-neck pediments, narrow waists, and is usually fitted with French-style feet. All of these cases seem to have used heavily figured woods, and many are elaborately inlaid to suit various tastes or budgets. The inlay patterns can be executed with simple highlighting of the various veneered forms, or added to the overall complexity of the decoration through complex stringing, a variety of panels, shells, stars, pinwheels, and urns. The wood used often included satinwood, ebony, rosewood, boxwood, mahogany, and dyed wood samples. Today, there are at least a dozen examples known that share very similar characteristics. These are all grounded by a clock that the New York Museum now owns. Their example retains a handwritten label by the Wood & Taylor firm while working in Florida and New York. Since that clock's discovery, two other examples with labels have been reported. These three labeled examples all share very similar inlaid decorations, including their signature star-decorated tympana.
