THE DIAL SIGNED BY AARON WILLARD JR. (1783-1864), BOSTON, CIRCA 1815

Details

A FEDERAL MAHOGANY VENEERED AND BRASS-MOUNTED TALL-CASE CLOCK
THE DIAL SIGNED BY AARON WILLARD JR. (1783-1864), BOSTON, CIRCA 1815
the white-painted dial signed Aaron Willard Jr./ BOSTON; inside of case door with printed label engraved by Paul Revere detailing the setting up of the clock; door also with later label hand-inscribed in ink with details of the clock and its recent history; illegible hand inscription in graphite on back of dial; fret and finials replaced
102 ¼ in. high, 21 in. wide, 10 in. deep

Provenance

Estate of James Hoffner, Boyertown, Pennsylvania
Pennypacker Auction House, Reading, Pennsylvania, 5 May 1965
Mrs. Karl E. Miller, by purchase from above
Leigh Keno, New York

Brought to you by

Sallie Glover

sglover@christies.com +1 212 636 2230

Lot Essay

As noted by the author of a note on the inside of the case door, the dial on the clock offered here may have been painted by Spencer Nolen (1784-1849), brother-in-law of the clockmaker, Aaron Willard, Jr. Nolen was previously in partnership with Aaron's father, Aaron Willard, Sr., and lived in the elder clockmaker's compound on Washington Street in Boston. Nolen moved to Philadelphia in 1817 but as noted by Paul J. Foley, he may have continued to supply dials to Aaron Willard, Jr. after this time (Paul J. Foley, Willard's Patent Timepieces (Norwell, Massachusetts, 2002), p. 292). For a clock dial with related country scene painted in the arch attributed to Nolen, see Christie's New York, 25 September 2013, lot 26.

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