Triumphant Grace: Important Americana from the Collection of Barbara and Arun Singh
Triumphant Grace: Important Americana from the Collection of Barbara and Arun Singh
VERY FINE AND RARE FEDERAL INLAID AND FIGURED MAHOGANY DWARF CLOCK, WORKS BY JOSHUA WILDER (1786-1860), HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, CIRCA 1820
Auction Closed
January 25, 06:44 PM GMT
Estimate
60,000 - 90,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
VERY FINE AND RARE FEDERAL INLAID AND FIGURED MAHOGANY DWARF CLOCK, WORKS BY JOSHUA WILDER (1786-1860), HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, CIRCA 1820
dial inscribed J Wilder Hingham; appears to retain its original surface, finials, winding key, and case key; cleaning notations inscribed on the inside; fret is an early replacement.
Height 50 ¾ in. by Width 11 ½ in. by Depth 5 ½ in.
Israel Sack, Inc., New York;
John D. Shapiro, Monkton, Maryland;
Northeast Auctions, Manchester, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Auction, August 2, 2003, lot 794;
Robert Cheney Fine Antique Clocks, Brimfield, Massachusetts.
"Northeast Exceeds $9.6 Million in Record Auction," Antiques and The Arts Weekly, august 15, 2003, p. 55.
With its brass eight-day movement inscribed J Wilder / Hingham and sophisticated veneered case with fluted plinths, quarter columns, brass capitals, and French feet, this mahogany dwarf clock represents the most elaborate form made by Joshua Wilder (1786-1860), the Hingham, Massachusetts clockmaker. It has survived in remarkable condition and retains its original brass ball and spire finials, finial plinths, movement, dial, moon-pattern hands, and pine seating board.
Closely related dwarf clocks made by Joshua Wilder are known. One was sold in these rooms, Highly Important Americana from the Stanley Paul Sax Collection, January 16-17, 1998, sale 7087, lot 359. Another from the Sax Collection appears illustrated in William Distin and Robert Bishop, The American Clock (New York: Crown Publishers, 1983), no. 144, p. 77. Another from the collection of Arthur Wellington of Boston was sold in these rooms, Important Americana, June 17-18, 1997, sale 7010, lot 759. One at Winterthur Museum displays a dial similarly painted with a basket of fruit and shields in the four corners as well as a high style finely crafted veneered case likely made by the same cabinetmaker (see Charles F. Montgomery, American Furniture: The Federal Period (New York, 1966): no. 149, p. 197-8).
The fact that similar painted dials are found on clocks made by Reuben Tower of Hingham indicates that a local painter was supplying decoration to a number of clockmakers working in the area. Joshua Wilder was known to have purchased his cases from Abiel White (1787-1844), who trained under Stephen Badlam (1751-1815) of Dorchester and later worked in Weymouth, a town neighboring Hingham.