An inlaid mahogany case tall clock made by William Cummens of Roxbury, Massachusetts. 28122.
This is a fine inlaid mahogany case tall clock exhibiting excellent proportions and a painted dial signed by the Roxbury, Massachusetts Clockmaker, William Cummens.
This lovely example has traditional Roxbury proportions and construction characteristics. It is constructed in mahogany, and New England white pine is used as a secondary wood. The case is lined inlaid with satinwood. The current orange shellac-based finish is appropriate and professionally applied. The color and depth are excellent, giving one an accurate visual interpretation of what this clock case would have looked like when first constructed and delivered. This example stands on four nicely formed applied ogee bracket feet. These are applied to a double-stepped molding located at the bottom of the base. The base panel is line inlaid. The delicate stringing forms a box in the base panel. This inlay detail features nicely relieved or cavetto corners. This pattern is repeated in the long rectangular-shaped waist door. Please note the high quality of the mahogany selected for this waist door and also the base panel locations. The grain pattern exhibited features excellent modeling. The waist section of this clock case is long and narrow. It is fitted with a long rectangular waist door. This is trimmed with applied molding. Through this door, one can access the case's interior. Brass-stopped fluted quarter columns flank the sides. These terminate in brass quarter capitals. The bonnet columns are also stopped-fluted with brass and are fitted into brass capitals. These are free-standing and visually support the molded arch. A pierced and open fretwork pattern surmounts the top of the bonnet. It incorporates three brass ball and spiked finials that are mounted on fluted chimney plinths. The arched bonnet door is fitted with glass. It opens to access the painted iron dial.
This painted dial is signed by the clockmaker, "Wm. Cummens / WARRANTED," just below the center arbor. This signature is original to this clock. It is framed by a colorfully painted wreath. This formatting is very unusual. Typically, one would expect to find the calendar day displayed in this location. This movement was never fitted with a calendar mechanism. Colorful floral patterns decorate each of the four spandrel areas and the arch of the dial. The time is displayed in a traditional format. Roman numerals mark the hours, and Arabic numerals are used to indicate each of the five-minute markers and seconds.
The movement is constructed in brass. It is weight powered, wound with a crank key, and designed to run for an eight-day duration. It is good quality. This clock will also strike each hour on a bell which is mounted above the movement.
This clock was made circa 1795 and stands 7 feet 11 inches tall. At the upper hood molding, this clock measures 20.25 inches wide and 10 inches deep.
William Cummens was born in 1768 and died on April 20, 1834, at the age of 66. He worked in Roxbury as a clockmaker as early as 1789. He was trained by Simon Willard, along with Elnathan Taber, Cummens stayed in Roxbury and worked alongside the Willard clockmaking family for many years. Based on the large number of clocks that have survived, they must have had an excellent relationship with one another. In this Roxbury location, Cummens had direct access to the same suppliers, such as case makers and dial painters, that the Willard family used. As a result, his clocks are nearly identical in form. Cummens was one of the first persons authorized by Simon Willard to manufacture the new Willard Patent Timepiece. Over the past 55-plus years of being in the business of buying and selling clocks, we have owned and sold a substantial number of tall case clocks, Massachusetts shelf clocks, and wall timepieces signed by this important clockmaker.
