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A Rare And Important Tall Case Clock By Jacob Hoster, Hanover Pa

$24,000List Price

About the Item

A rare and important “Castle Top” tall case clock, by Jacob Hostetter Senior, Hanover, Pennsylvania, circa 1815. The case from the Baltimore, Maryland area. This impressive tall case clock has a rare crest treatment that is referred to as a “Castle Top”. These specific gallery top clocks, with multiple chimneys, turned wood finials and splat-form valances, were produced in the Baltimore and northern Maryland areas. This ambitious case has terrific height and proportions with exuberant mahogany veneers highlighted with figured maple inlays and turnings. The case is in a high style fashion with clean lines and flared French feet but the use of tiger maple demonstrates some provincial influences. The clock was produced by the rare Hanover, Pennsylvania clockmaker, Jacob Hostetter, Sr. (born: 1754 Hanover, PA- died 1831 New Lisbon, Ohio). Hostetter who served as Pennsylvania congressman from 1818-1821, trained his son Jacob Junior as a clockmaker and later followed him to New Lisbon some time around 1824 where they both continued clockmaking. The clock case has a wonderful surface that demonstrates the highly figured mahogany and tiger maple used throughout. The molded “castle top” consists of a crest with four short tiger maple chimneys at the four corners, with a reverse arched mahogany splat. A pair of tall tiger maple chimneys frame a raised central splat with an arched top. Each of the six chimneys is fitted with an original turned mahogany urn and spire final. This crest is a rare configuration that creates a dramatic presentation. This crest is above a flat tympanum with book-matched mahogany panels and a mahogany cross-banded tombstone-form dial door. The door opens to a finely painted oversized fourteen inch iron dial of Boston origins. Boston dials are known for their high quality and regional style and they were employed by clockmakers throughout the country. The hood is set with four turned tiger maple colonnettes and has oval side windows. The dial features a painted moon phase disk in the lunette, decorated with hand painted scenes and moon faces. One side of the moon disk depicts a war ship flying an American flag and on the opposite side is a wonderful moonlit coastal scene with a fisherman and a castle tower. At the base of this lunette are two hemispheres, each decorated with highly detailed terrestrial maps. The clock face has bold Arabic numerals to demark the hour and an outer ring of Arabic numerals to demark the minutes. The dial has a gilt border and is framed by vibrant spandrels with polychrome pinwheels on mustard ground. The dial has the very desirable configuration of being fitted with four hands off of the center arbor. This includes the addition of a sweep calendar and a sweep seconds hand. The dial is inscribed below the center arbor in red Old English calligraphy with the maker’s name, “Jacob Hostetter”. Dials signed with colored lettering such as this are very rare. The hood transitions to the waist section with a broad flared molding. The waist section has a border of book-matched herring bone mahogany cross banding and quarter-round molded front corners. The rectangular case door has a cross banded edge around a vibrant mahogany panel. The door opens to the a pair of period cast iron weights and a brass capped pendulum with a steel rod. The movement has recently been serviced and is in excellent running condition. The eight-day brass movement rests on an original pine saddle board. The waist transitions to the base section with another broad flared molding. The base repeats the above motif with quarter-round molded corners and herring-bone cross banding around a vibrant mahogany panel. The base of the panel has an inlaid border of tiger maple above a shaped apron and flared French feet.

Creator:
Jacob Hostetter (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 103.25 in (262.26 cm)Width: 20.25 in (51.44 cm)Depth: 10.5 in (26.67 cm)
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1815
Condition:
The clock is in excellent condition with a fine surface and rich color. Height includes finals.
Seller Location:
Sharon, MA
Reference Number:
Seller: 101141stDibs: U120503890255

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