MANTEL CLOCKS, THE MOST HIGHLY DECORATIVE OF ALL CLOCKS, ARE OFTEN REGARDED SIMPLY AS ORNAMENTAL OBJECTS THAT INCIDENTALLY TELL THE TIME. THEIR OWNERS ARE LESS CONCERNED WHEN THEY FAIL MECHANICALLY THAN THEY WOULD BE WITH OTHER CLOCKS.

Mantel clocks were first developed around 1735 in France during the reign of King Louis XV when it became fashionable to add a deep ledge or shelf at the top of mantelpieces wide enough to take a clock. This was the period of the Rococo style, famed for its playful fancifulness. Even more so than the bracketed wall clocks from which they developed, the cases of mantel clocks rapidly became increasingly decorative, incorporating a movement and dial into every other contemporary decorative art medium, and embracing a variety of materials, including enamel, ormolu, bronze, wood veneer, ceramics, and marble. Following fast on the French lead, mantel clocks startedto be made elsewhere in Europe, except in England where the genre did not catch on until the 1760s, and the clocks tended to be more sober in style and slightly sturdier than their Continental counterparts. In the 1800s mantel clocks were made in huge quantities, in revivalist or eclectic styles.

Antique Collection

It is ironic that the most natural place to site a mantel clock, on the shelf from which it derives its name, is inadvisable if it is over a working fireplace. Heat rising from the fire propels dirt onto the case and into the movement, especially when, as so often with French mantel clocks, the movement is not sealed from the open air. Fluctuations in temperature as the fire burns and goes out leads to erratic timekeeping because of the slight expansion and contraction of the metal, which causes changes in the pendulum’s length. Bear in mind when cleaning that the different materials react in different ways. Avoid the use of water or of commercial furniture, metal, or glass polish, as these may seep into crevices and react with materials other than the ones they are intended for. In most cases, cleaning should be restricted to dusting with a soft-bristled brush (a cloth may catch on the mounts), and anything more serious should be undertaken by a restorer. Before moving a mantel clock always take off the pendulum and use a piece of folded paper to wedge the ticking crutchpiece connected to it.

In both the 1700s and 1800s, the majority of mantel clocks employed simple hour or half-hour striking circular movements of standardized dimensions ready-made to be fitted by the casemaker, who then sold the finished piece. There is generally little about them to surprise a clockmaker today, and being spring driven, they should, like bracket clocks, be overhauled every five to eight years. Occasionally a mantel clock formed only the superstructure of a larger composition containing a musical mechanism in the base playing on a gallery of bells or a run of barrel organ pipes. These mechanisms have frequently undergone a hard life and may need extensive and expensive repair. If the musical mechanism has been removed completely, leaving a vacant space, replacement is rarely economic.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Ornament Mantel Clock Collection Storage and Care