Banjo Clock
Maker
Simon Willard
(American, 1753 - 1848)
ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS
Dateca. 1805
Mediummahogany, glass, reverse-painted glass panels, and brass
Dimensions29 1/2 x 9 3/4 x 4 in. (74.9 x 24.8 x 10.2 cm.)
DescriptionBanjo clock from Roxbury, Massachusetts
SignedThe eglomise base panel signed: S. Willard Patent
InscribedThe eglomise base panel signed: S. Willard Patent
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gail-Oxford Collection
Label TextKnown as a “banjo” clock because of its distinctive shape, wall-mounted time pieces such as this became immensely popular in this country in the first quarter of the 19th century.First developed and patented in 1801 by Simon Willard, these clocks were simply designed and manufactured making them affordable to an ever-expanding American middle class.
Status
On viewObject number2016.11.16
