Posted 8 years ago
Susan3550
(3 items)
I purchased this clock from a priest about 18 years ago. He purchased the clock 30 or so years prior. The story he told me was that when he purchased the clock, it was in a box. He believed it had been boxed up during WWII to keep it safe. The carvings are a combination of nordic, pagan and religious figures. The bottom panel is carved (pictured) "PAAVEIENTIL EMAUS". The clock has one main bell that strikes on the hour, the number of hours. This is followed by music. The clock has eleven bells and hammers along the top and there is a cylinder with pins that trigger the hammers. The clock has a metal knob that you can push or pull to one of 5 scribed positions to have the clock play one of 5 melodies which play for about 32 seconds. Pullong or pushing the knob moves the cylindar with the pins. This is a very cool clock. I think it dates from the late 1700's but not sure. Please share any information you might know including age or origin. Thank you!
What an unusual, magnificent clock! Do you operate it? What are the names of the chime melodies? Have you ever had it serviced? If so, what did the person tell you about it? Someone may be able to help you here but in addition to your post on this website, my advice is to go to: http://mb.nawcc.org/forumdisplay.php?9-Clocks-General, register and post your photos there.
Are there any maker's marks anywhere on the case or movement?
That's a museum piece. Thanks for sharing it with us.
OMG!!! Bruce99 is so right!!!! beautiful clock!!
I have never seen anything like this before!! what a conversation piece!!
Hi and thanks for the nice feedback! I do operate the clock and it works perfectly and keeps time as well. There are no names to the chime melodies. I am not sure if there are any maker marks on the clockworks. If I can get my husband to help remove the top portion, I will post if I find any. The wood has no markings. There is an excellent repair clock shop here. They have only said it is one of a kind and the musical and clock components are very early, probably 1700's. The steel "tooth" comb and cylinder musical mechanisms were around as early as 1750 to present. The musical clock with hammer and bells and the cylinder with pins could be as early 1575 and as late as 1850. The clock people also felt that the clock was most likely made for a church or a very prominent citizen because of the religious motifs and detail. I will post it to the other site too, Bruce99, Thank you! Also thank you Sean68!
What of the more modern-looking screws in its feet, and round-headed nails in the board with Jesus?
Hi SpiritBear, there is not much mystery to the screws and nails. From what I have been able to learn from another posting site, it appears that at some point within the last 60 years, someone made some repairs that unfortunatly were not done with the most appropriate methods. These include screws directly into the face of the clock. The writing/liguistics on the case are Norwegian. "PAA VEIEN TIL EMAUS. This means 'On the road to Emmaus'. Nowadays the word Paa would be spelt Pa with a little circle on the 'a' (which I can't do on this computer). The language is Norwegian, given the way that the word 'vei' is spelt. However, before the languages
were revised Danish and Norwegian had many of the same spellings". The carving on the case appears to be Mechelen or of that style. The escapement in the clockworks is an anchor escapement used 1657-1800's. The hammer and bells music works date the clock to between 1575-1875. I know it is a big range of dates but its lots more info than I started out with :)