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Posted 4 months, 17 days ago
Bruce99
(27 items)
A recent addition to our collection is this Ansonia enameled iron case clock called the "Nubia", from the late 19th through early 20th century. It's a very large and heavy mantel clock measuring 17 inches wide and 11 inches high. I would guesstimate that it weighs somewhere around 25 pounds.
It has large ornaments with a heavy patina and age related wear to the original finish. These include huge end ornaments which appear to be some type of mythical lions, very large paw shaped feet which I believe are unique to this model and a frieze at the base showing 7 school children studying with a globe on the left side of their classroom.
Ansonia often made clocks with themes referencing the pursuit of knowledge, art, culture and civilization through various periods of time. This clock has a 2 piece porcelain dial in very good condition with the open escapement and the original beveled glass. The black enamel paint looks age appropriate and is still doing a good job of protecting the iron case from rust and corrosion.
It's currently running but I plan to clean and overhaul the movement (as needed), and then clean up, polish and wax the enamel finish and ornaments. In this case, that's the only "restoration" I plan to do to this clock.
The sinuous etching makes the dial even better.
Thanks Vetraio50, and thanks AmphoraPottery! I've never thought of them as "sinuous". That's a neat interpretation of the etchings or incised designs. I think that they are also kind of reminiscent of flora, perhaps Nubian plant life. There appears to be some type of flower on the sides and the designs almost grow out of the dial while pointing back to it. Thanks for your comments, observations and interpretations!
Very nice clock! What does the chime sound like? I have an Ansonia Rosalind. It's a big clock but it has the softest little chime. Then I have an Ansonia Liege which is a much smaller "black" and it sounds like a big old grandfather clock...lol.. I guess you could order these with the "gong" of you choice. I think it's related to the thickness of the wire. They call the one I have in the Liege a "cathedral gong."
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/7463-ansonia-rosalind-mantel-clock?in=user
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/8530-ansonia-liege?in=user
Here are the two Ansonia clocks I mentioned...
Thanks officialfuel and toolate2! You both have very nice, wide-ranging collections which include antique clocks among many other things. I've been lurking and commenting on Collectors Weekly for some time as "Bruce" before I registered as "Bruce99" and I've enjoyed your posts for almost two years now.
This clock also uses a cathedral gong with a nice tone and slow decay. The sounding board and heavy case make a nice resonator for it. It's not an overpowering or very deep-toned strike like you might hear with a big grandfather clock but if there isn't too much noise I can easily hear it through a wall or door. At least it's easy for me to hear it right now. If I'm still around in 10 or 20 years I might not be able to hear it while standing right in front of it reading the time! :)
Ansonia made some nice clocks with a wide variety of models. I really like your clocks and also have an Ansonia Rosalind. I think that the Rosalind must have been one of Ansonia's most popular black enameled irons. You always see them on eBay and if they are in good condition they seem to consistently bring the Seller a nice price. The Rosalind just has a beautiful design with very nice ornamentation. Our Rosalind is not currently running but I think our Nubia is a little louder than the Rosalind. I've never seen or heard a "Liege" in person before.
I think you're right that the thickness of the gong has a lot to do with the tone and loudness of the strike. Unlike most bells it's kind of hard to know how "big" a gong will sound because it may look small and still have tight coils with a long length of "wire". You can pack a surprisingly pretty big sound in a small case. The hardness of the hammer tip (usually made of old, hard leather), the condition and thickness of the sounding board and how well the sounding board is secured to the rest of the case will also affect the quality and quantity of sound the gong makes when struck.
With their "voice" the time and strike and chiming clocks really have a nice presence in most homes. We love them. Thanks again!
LOVE IT , VERY BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks BELLIN68!
Thanks GypsysTreasures!
Thanks for the love Jason! Ansonia cranked out some very nice work. I really enjoy their clocks.
Thanks PhilDavidAlexanderMorris!