Oak Longcase Clock with Brass Face and Swan Neck Pediment

A late 18th/ early 19th century oak longcase clock, the hood…
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A late 18th/ early 19th century oak longcase clock, the hood with swan neck pediment and brass lion mask head terminals, the brass arched face engraved with foliate scrollwork, Roman numerals and Arabic minutes, and subsidiary dials for Strike/Silent, and seconds dial, date aperture, the face engraved with maker's name Robert Welsh of Dalkeith. Dimensions 206 x 49 x 23 cm.

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  • Oak - Native to Europe and England, oak has been used for joinery, furniture and building since the beginning of the medieval civilisation. It is a pale yellow in colour when freshly cut and darkens with age to a mid brown colour.

    Oak as a furniture timber was superceded by walnut in the 17th century, and in the 18th century by mahogany,

    Semi-fossilised bog oak is black in colour, and is found in peat bogs where the trees have fallen and been preserved from decay by the bog. It is used for jewellery and small carved trinkets.

    Pollard oak is taken from an oak that has been regularly pollarded, that is the upper branches have been removed at the top of the trunk, result that new branches would appear, and over time the top would become ball-like. . When harvested and sawn, the timber displays a continuous surface of knotty circles. The timber was scarce and expensive and was used in more expensive pieces of furniture in the Regency and Victorian periods.
  • Hood - In longcase clocks, the hood is the wooden case that surrounds the works and dial, and includes the glass front, which is usually hinged, so the door can be opened to wind the clock or adjust the time. In 18th and 19th century longcase clocks the hood usually slides forward for removal, allowing access to the works.
  • Date Aperture - A date aperture is a cut out section in the face of a watch or clock, displaying the day of the month.
  • Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
  • Lion Mask - The lion mask has been used for centuries in various forms of art and design, including furniture, silver, and ceramics, and is usually y depicted as a stylized representation of the face of a lion, often with an open mouth and protruding tongue. and is often used as a handle, knob, or other decorative element.

    In furniture design, lion masks were popular in the neoclassical and Empire styles of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were often used as decorative elements on the legs or arms of chairs, as well as on cabinet and drawer pulls. It was also used as a handle, knob, or other decorative element.

    In silverware design, lion masks were often applied to tea and coffee pots, as well as on candlesticks, snuff boxes, and other small silver items. The lion mask was often used in combination with other neoclassical motifs, such as laurel wreaths or acanthus leaves, to create a sense of grandeur and classical elegance.

    In ceramics, lion masks were often depicted in relief, and were sometimes used in combination with other decorative elements, such as garlands or swags.

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