Description
Antique Swedish Empire MORA
grandfather clock with carved hand shaped pine long case with original well
serviced and working 8 day movement.
The tall case in typical
provincial blonde pine waxed finish and with elegant cold climate spruce
grain.
Of typical form with drumhead
top and elegant stylised pregnant belly body.
The Swedish Mora clock first
appeared in Stockholm during the Gustavian Period in the mid-eighteenth century.
Farmers in the Mora area wanted to look for ways to supplement their income. The
villagers of Östnor, outside Mora, turned to traditional home crafts such as the
making of clocks. This was essential work as the long frozen winter months
restricted work to indoor activities. Each farming family specialized in a
specific part: some made the brass clockworks, some painted the dials while
others built or painted the cases. At the height of production more than 90
families were engaged in the trade, and Mora functioned as one large clock
factory. This traditional hand made craft eventually ceased when cheaper mass
production clocks from America became available from the 1840's onwards.
The steel and brass clock
mechanism with top mounted bell and two cast iron weights. The bell strikes the
hour count.
A long brass pendulum is housed
within the case. The clock face with hand painted enamel face with Roman
numerals in black on white with the superb cut brass hands .
Two train movement with winding
key. The door to the pendulum case with original iron hinge
The drum head shaped top with
opening front door retains it original hand blown convex glass front.
The main body with a traditional
neoclassical shape and hinged panel door with round window front is somtimes
called the pregnant belly as it refers to a tim eof prosperity in the
family.
The shaped pine mouldings to the
case in the provincial manner complete with pegged joints in 18th century
tradition. .
Swedish Karl Johan
period 1820
Overall Dimensions:
Height 202 cm
Width 61 cm
Depth 21cm
Price AUD $ 5500
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