Joseph Bruff
Tall Case Clock
American, 1754-1764
Scroll
Joseph Bruff
Tall Case Clock
American, 1754-1764
Physical Qualities
Mahogany, walnut; yellow pine and tulip poplar secondary woods; replaced brass escutcheon, replaced finials; eight-day movement with recoil escapement, 101 5/8 x 20 7/8 x 11 1/4 in. (258.1 x 53 x 28.6 cm.)
Credit Line
Friends of the American Wing Fund
Object Number
1977.84
Tall case clock with replaced pagoda-shaped top with central and outer urn-shaped finials; below this, arched cove molding and arched frieze of original fretwork. Four reeded hood columns flank an arched, glazed door which encloses a brass clock face with Roman hour and Arabic minute numerals. Waist with cove molded top; one central door with arched and scalloped top; plinth with inverted cove molding and central raised panel; molded base with straight bracket feet.
Finials and upper part of hood from the fretwork up replaced.
Back of waist door is tooth planed; sides are connected to front with spaced square glue blocks
Bonnet: Sarcophagus top with concave sides, gilt finials at center and each forecorner with molding above top center along sides and on front below finials, inset center blind fretwork panel. Below this crown a low arched ogee and cove molding forms cornice above door with blind fretwork frieze having "keystone" center. Architrave molding of diminishing depth ogee profiles. Door flanked by fluted columns having brass capital and bases, fluted quarter-columns with some brasses found at rear of bonnet. Arched bonnet door has 1/4-round molded inside edge, narrow cavetto flanks sides of door opening. Ogee above cavetto frame sides and front of bonnet base. Side boards inset with arched top glazed panels.
Case: Deep cove molding at top of waist section. Waist door top has ogee curves centering low arched door enframed by conforming multiple profile molding whose inner edge lies above level of central panel. Ogee above 1/2-round molding at top of base. Base has rectangular panel with same molding used as on waist door. Straight bracket base with ogee cut out on front and sides.
Dial: Brass with arched top having roundel engraved "Joseph Bruff" above "Talbot Court" above "House" Cast brass ornament on either side of this and in spandrels. Dial has roman numerals marking the hours (with IIII used as 4) encircled by ring engraved with minutes in arabic numbers above hand-pivot is seconds dial engraved with star/compass design, date numeral appears just hour numeral 'VI'
The Baltimore Museum of Art, by purchase, 10 Dec. 1977; Fogle Auctioneers, Frederick, MD, 1977.
Goldsborough, Jennifer Faulds. "Silver in Maryland", Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1984. Cat. 61, p. 98, ill.
Smith, Jane Webb. Silver in Maryland, "Clock and Watchmaking in Maryland," Maryland Historical Society, 1984. p, 29, ill. 2.
Elder III, William Voss and Jayne E. Stokes. American Furniture 1680-1880: From the Collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Baltimore: Museum of Art, 1987, p.114-115, ill. 82.
Examination of clock done 12/05/1979 by Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (Examiners: Bradford L. Rauschenberg, Frank L. Horton, Jane Webb Smith)
Inscribed: Joseph Bruff's name and Talbot Court House are both inscribed on the roundel in the arch of the clock face.
Markings: Inside of bonnet backboard has faint chalk figures of math problems, etc. and other marks that appear to be letters. A backwards "S" on the inside of right sideboard.
