Clock, Shelf

Object Name:

Clock, Shelf

Object ID:

1972.505.01

Creator:

Terry, Eli; Terry, Samuel

Place of Origin:

Plymouth, CT

Date:

1824-1827

Description:

Shelf Clock. Pillar-and-scroll type. Materials: mahogany and birch; glass; tulip popular (dial); brass; secondary woods white pine and cherry; assorted hardwoods (movement). Three brass spired urn finials on plinths (each engraved "ENGLAND"); high scrolled pediment; freestanding, attenuated colonnettes with entasis, at front corners. Vertically oriented, rectangular door with two glazed panels -- clear glass above and decorated glass below. Upper panel greater in height. Lower glass panel decorated with reverse painted seascape showing two ships in combat. Scene bordered by military trophies below, architectural columns at sides and streamers above held in eagle's beak at center top. Labeled within streamers: "GUERRERIE" (sic) and "CONSTITUTION." (image is of the USS Constitution's capture of the HMS Guerriere, Aug. 19, 1812). Executed in black, brown, gold, red, yellow, and shades of blue and green. Area of glass surrounding decoration painted light blue. Scotia and ovolo molded base above serpentine scrolled skirt with arch at center front and tall straight bracket feet. Door secured with steel lock having lozenge-shaped steel escutcheon and handle.
Rectangular, painted wooden dial beneath upper glass panel, with arabic hour numerals and pierced, steel, hour and minute hands matching in design. Two winding holes with brass grommets, below center of dial. Painted gilt decoration, partly in relief, including wreath around center of dial and elaborate scrolled ornaments in spandrels. Terry-type, thirty-hour wooden movement with strike.
Columns, feet and front base molding solid mahogany. Remainder of visible surface of case veneered with mahogany except front of central plinth which has figured birch veneer. Top and bottom are cherry.
Dial probably tulip poplar. Large printed label glued to inner surface of lower backboard, reading in part: "Patent Clocks, / Invented by / Eli Terry. / Made and Sold at Plymouth, Connecticut, / By / Eli & Samuel Terry." Weight sheaves projecting through top of case. Movement projecting into backboard but covered with tin plate sheet. Hook with wire screwed into back of central plinth. Several nail holes in backboard. Circular sawn upper backboards are replacements. Pencil inscription on back of door: "L. H. Kimball Hopkinton N H 8-27-51" Both pediment scrolls and right rear foot broken and repaired.
Separately stored parts: pendulum bob, winding key, two cylindrical cast iron weights, piece of veneer.

Material:

Wood
Glass
Brass
Steel
Birch
Mahogany

Dimensions:

H-30.625 W-17.625 D-4.5 inches

Provenance:

Connecticut-made clock, by Eli & Samuel Terry. Clean/repair mark of Lawrence H. Kimball (1826-1852), Hopkinton, N.H., 1851, suggests that the clock may have originally been owned in the Hopkinton, N.H. area.

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection

People:

Terry, Eli (1772-1852), Terry, Samuel (1774-1853), Kimball, Lawrence H. (1826-1852)

Subjects:

War of 1812