Clock, Tall Case
- Object Name:
- Clock, Tall Case
- Object ID:
- 1972.089.038
- Creator:
- Morrill, Benjamin (1794-1857) -- Clockmaker
- Place of Origin:
- Boscawen, NH
- Date:
- 1815-1820
- Description:
- Tall Case Clock. Movement made by Benjamin Morrill (1794-1857), Boscawen, NH; 1815-1825. Materials: cherry, birch; brass; iron (dial); unidentified dark and light wood inlay; secondary wood white pine. Dovetail construction (hood); heavy use of glue blocks (lower case). Arched hood decorated with three brass spired ball finials on grooved plinths. Freestanding plain colonnettes at front corners, supporting cornice which is arched at center. No Frieze. Colonnettes have brass capitals and bases. Engaged quarter-round colonnettes at rear corners. Glazed door having arched top and brass knob. Rectangular sidelights. Waist with cove molding at top; fluted quarter-columns with brass capitals and bases, at front corners; and a rectangular door with applied bead at edges, steel lock and urn-shaped brass escutcheon with steel key. Each quarter-column extends between applied veneered blocks; light and dark diagonal banding inlaid on front along inner and outer edges of each block. Base with scotia molded top and tall straight bracket feet. Inlaid band of same diagonal design, just above feet on sides and front of case. Inner sides of front feet cut sharply in 1.5" above bottom.
Painted iron dial with arched top. Roses painted at center of arched top in red and gold with foliage in green and gold. Roses flanked by scrolled foliage in gold and green, partly in relief. Spandrels decorated with gold foliage. Spandrel ground is red at corners and green at center with a row of raised gilt dots dividing the colors. "Benjn. Morrill / BOSCAWEN" in black lettering, below center of dial. Arabic hour and minute numerals; seconds dial above center; calendar aperture below with surrounding gilt decoration. A winding hole at each side of center. Pierced steel hour and minute hands matching in design. Eight-day brass movement with strike.
Case stained to give even coloring. Inner surface of doors stained red. No bottom boards in case. Some nail holes in backboard. Two gouged areas on inner surface of rail below waist door. Several pencil inscriptions, many illegible, on inner surface of door and inside case, giving names and dates re cleanings and/or repairs from 1872 to 1938, including: "C__ NH / [A] H Baker / Aug [4 or 8] / 1904" on inner surface of backboard.
Separately stored parts: winding key, pendulum, key, two sheet iron canister weights. - Material:
- Wood
Cherry
Metal
Glass
Brass
Iron - Dimensions:
- H-93.5 W-21.125 D-10.875 inches
- Provenance:
- Clock with movement made by Benjamin Morrill (1794-1857), Boscawen, N.H.
Acquired by donor -- Charles S. Parsons (1904-1988) -- in 1969 from Herschel Burt of Exeter, New Hampshire, who acquired it from K. Fox, antiques dealer in Dedham, Massachusetts. Part of a large clock collection (and related materials) including not only clocks made in N.H., but also several made elsewhere, acquired in N.H. by the donor and probably used here. - Credit Line:
- Gift of Charles S. Parsons
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