Tall-case clock
John Townsend
(American, 1733–1809)
about 1770–1800
Object PlaceNewport, Rhode Island, United States
Medium/TechniqueMahogany, white pine; brass works
DimensionsOverall: 261 x 34.3 x 18.4 cm (102 3/4 x 13 1/2 x 7 1/4 in.)
Credit LineThe M. and M. Karolik Collection of Eighteenth-Century American Arts
Accession number39.158
On View
On viewClassificationsFurniture
Collections
Between 1750 and 1800, Townsend-Goddard cabinetmakers produced cases for tall-case clocks. Here, the eight-day striking movement is marked "Wilson," probably an English clockmaker. The delicate, bracket feet; carved shell at the top of the door; and broken-scroll pediment with carved finials are part of the Newport vocabulary.
ProvenanceG.W.H. Smith, 9 Orchard Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island; purchased in 1936 for the M. & M. Karolik Collection of Eighteenth-Century American Arts; given to the Museum in 1939.
