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Tall Case Clock
1801-1850
William Crane (1749-1820)
USA: Massachusetts, Stoughton
Wood, glass, metal
overall: 92-1/4"h x 20-1/4"w x 12"d
Gift of Mrs. Willis R. Michael
77.80.15a-j

Tall Case Clock; metal (brass and other) movement, grain painted case with yellow painted inlay-like decoration, plain turned quarter columns, splayed Hepplewhite feet; arched hood with pierced fret and three brass finials; painted iron dial plate with grapes and peonies, piece iron hands, "rocking ship" movement in trepanium, dial inscribed WM. CRANE. a date calendar aperture, seconds dial above main arbor. Movement: brass, 8-day, key wind, weights, anchor ecape, rack and snail strick, hours striking, "rocking ship" attached to pendulum; a: trunk; b-c: 2 weights; d: pendulum; e: trunk door key; f-h: 3 brass finials; i: hood; j: movement.


Clockmakers crafted timepieces to suit different tastes and financial means. Here, William Crane’s client requested a fancy painted iron dial; the ship on it sails in time with the clock’s pendulum. A simpler face would have cost less. To save money or because he liked the look, Crane’s client chose a case made from domestic wood painted to resemble imported mahogany with a light-colored wood inlay.