Clock, Shelf

Object Name:

Clock, Shelf

Object ID:

1924.003.13

Place of Origin:

Paris, France

Date:

circa 1850

Description:

Shelf Clock. Housed in glass domed case. Made of black polished stone, ormolu (or polished and lacquered brass); porcelain (dial); brass (movement); mahogany and glass (case). Arched pediment of black polished stone, edged with concave molding; five ormolu finials. Top finial is large bell shape, and four smaller finials are urn shaped. The pediment has an ormolu molded face/mask form on the top center, surrounded with 4 five-pointed stars. The pediment is supported by four ornate ormolu columns. The base of the columns are rectangular pedestals; the front two have flowered decoration. Columns have cup and ring designs. The columns are attached to a 2two-tier black polished stone base, with bolts and nuts. Each tier is of the base is edged with ormolu beading. The base sits on four round molded ormolu feet, which have a screw top; right rear foot is loose. Clock face is white porcelain and is slightly convex. Maker's name beneath the center in cursive, "Court a Paris". Dial has black roman numerals and appears to be applied with ink. It has three winding holes, time and strike below center and pendulum winding hole above numeral XII. Hour and minute hands are ormolu/brass, and similar in design. Bezel is ormolu and is decorated with floral pattern. Large ormolu molded and pierced decorative pendant below clock face; curtains with a face/mask (matching face/mask on pediment), flanked by two sphinxes. The ormolu pendulum bob is shaped like a star burst, with face/mask (matching others) in center. Clock works, brass, are inside a brass/ormolu drum. Rear movement plate engraved "702N". The drum has an unpolished brass back. Donor's label on rear of pediment, typed: "Donor Mrs. C. H. Greenleaf / DATE July - 1924". The case has an oval mahogany base with a blown glass dome which is painted black. Number "37" (or B7) written in pencil on the unpainted bottom. It has a threaded screw hole in center of bottom which does not go through (function undetermined). Underside has four wooden black feet, each attached with one nail. On upperside of base are four circular depressions, to receive the clock feet; three of the depressions have paper inserts (probably for leveling). Toward the outer edge of the base is a groove, lined with felt, to receive the glass dome. Dome is oval in cross-section, and arched on top. Remnants of paper or adhesive along bottom edge of glass. Keys: Inside the case is a safety pin with two keys attached; one is a steel key marked with the number 9 (or 6), the other is a small brass and steel key marked with "C" and "O".

Material:

Stone
Metal
Porcelain
Glass
Wood

Dimensions:

H-20 W-15.9 D-7.9 inches

Provenance:

Part of a collection of paintings and objects donated by Mabelle F. Greenleaf (1873-1966), in memory of her late husband, Charles Henry Greenleaf (1841-1924) and their daughter, Edith Greenleaf. The clock was used in one of the Greenleaf hotels.

Credit Line:

Gift of Mabelle Furst Greenleaf, in memory of Charles Henry Greenleaf and Edith Greenleaf

People:

Greenleaf, Charles Henry (1841-1924), Greenleaf, Edith (1916-1916), Greenleaf, Mabelle F. (1873-1966)