From about 1760 until the American Revolution, elegant tall case clocks numbered among the glories of fine Philadelphia furniture. The craftsman responsible for the carving on this beautiful cabinet, which still retains its original cartouche and flame finials, has not been identified, but he was clearly affiliated with one of the city’s leading shops. The clockworks were made and inscribed by Edward Duffield, a cultured member of Philadelphia’s elite craftsmen. He belonged to both the American Philosophical Society and the Library Company of Philadelphia. So did Benjamin Franklin, who purchased several clocks from Duffield and even sheltered at Duffield’s country estate during the British occupation of Philadelphia. The clockmaker later served as one of Franklin’s executors.