Hello Brad.
Thank you for sending in this Hall clock to us for appraisal.
TITLE:
Art Deco, stained oak, two weight, eight day time and strike, Hall clock (aka-the modern era grandfather clock), made by the Friedrich Mauthe & Sons (1822-1884) Clock Company (see below), Schwenningen, Black Forest, Germany circa 1920s.
DESCRIPTION:
Case - 84" Tall this is an Art Deco era (1920-1940s), stained oak, German Hall clock with a rectilinear shaped case having a concave overhung, flat pediment above the square oak framed glazed dial door with rosette carved corner blocks. The side of the hood are glazed. A horizontally ribbed molding transitions down to the waist with its rectilinear edge molded glazed door flanked by reeded flat pilasters at the case corners. A flat and overhung cornice leads down to the rectilinear base with recessed triple panels with carvings at the upper end of each panel. The base, like the trunk, has ribbed vertical pilasters at the corners. The entire case rests on shaped straight bracket feet. The sides of the case have glass panels...
DIAL: Square silvered dial in the Art Deco style with embossed 'checkerboard squares’ in each corner of the dial with black enameled Arabic hours against a silvered ground. The square gilt dial center has an embossed full checkerboard design. The dial is unsigned and there are very unusual steel "ribbed Florida" hands....
MOVEMENT: Not shown but powered by two bullet shaped German brass canister weights, wound by pull-up chains inside the case (not from the dial). I believe the movement would be a solid rectilinear brass plate movement with anchor escapement, steel arbors, cut steel pinions, dual sprocket gears to take up the two weight chains and likely of eight day duration while striking the "ECHO-GONG", a coiled metal gong which carries the trademark of the Friederick Mauthe & Sons Clock Factory. ...
Condition: Although strictly rectilinear, and not ornate, the form is typical of the Art Deco years. The dial is most unusual and the silver surface has oxidized and darkened in patches as one would expect as it approaches its one hundredth birthday. The movement, if clean, should be functional. The bullet shaped brass canister weights are typical of German production during the first quarter of the 20th century. The lack of a name on the dial or case is due to the German clockmakers’ perception that their product would not be purchased by English speaking countries so close to the end of hostilities during WW I. The case has scuffs, rubs and scratches throughout.
HISTORICAL:
Friedrich Mauthe (1822-1884) began work as a supplier of parts for clockmakers in Schwenningen Germany. It was not until 1860 that he started manufacturing clocks on his own. In 1876 his sons, Christian and Jacob, joined the firm which became the Mauthe Clock Company (Mauthe Uhrenfabrik). In 1899 they added their own case factory and employed 1000 workers. By 1930, 2000 employees produced 45,000 clocks per week. In 1937 60% of the clocks imported into England were made by Mauthe. This clock company survived the war and did not close its doors until 1976. I could find no less than 30 trademarks filed by this Germany clockmaking company. The Mauthe Company patented at least eleven named types of clock gongs that I could locate.
Please let me know if you have questions or comments.
Best,
David