Outstanding Carved Tall Case Clock with Works by Elliott,
London, case attributed to R.J. Horner and Company (New York), retailed by the Tobey Furniture Company, Chicago, ca 1900, in mahogany with poplar secondary wood. The case has elaborately carved decoration including a mask on the crown and pipers flanking the hood door, as well as lion heads, a devil, and cherubs on the waist, and lion heads and a carved medieval tavern scene on the base, all resting on bun feet. The movement is by Elliott of London, with 9 tubes marked by Harris and Harrington, both the Westminster and Whittington chimes, and a brass and iron dial with a calendar wheel with sun and moon dial. In a rich, old surface. Mounted on the dial is an engraved plaque that reads, TOBEY CHICAGO 1856. Retains weights and pendulum; 103" high x 27.75" wide x 16.5" deep. According to Tran Duy Ly (Longcase Clocks and Standing Regulators, entry 979), this clock is model 31168, the "Flemish Hall Clock", from the Tobey Furniture Company in Chicago, Illinois, although Tran Duy Ly does not list this model in mahogany. Tobey was founded in 1856 and it soon was flourishing, producing furniture for many of Chicago's finest homes and hotels. They later became known for their Arts and Crafts furniture, but they also produced and retailed a wide variety of styles, including a number of highly carved tall clocks. It is almost certain that the "Flemish Hall Clock" was only retailed by Tobey. In terms of the style, quality, and quantity of the carving, this case is very similar to other cases of the period manufactured by R.J. Horner and Company of New York and was probably made by them. There appears to be other clocks in the Tobey line that were also in Horner cases. Examples of models 3979 ("Italian Renaissance") and 31023 ("Gothic") have recently appeared on the market, all carrying attributions to Horner. Most of the Horner-made cases contained a 9-tube movement by J.J. Elliott, Ltd. of London. Between the 1880s and the 1920s, they produced some of the finest clock movements in the world, and at the top of their line was the 9-tube movement in the clock offered here. Harris and Harrington developed their tubular bell chime in 1884. The quality and tone of the chimes earned them a gold medal at the 1885 Paris World's Fair, and it prompted their purchase by many churches and opera houses. For a similar example in oak, see eBay item 7374270437 (sold, December 20, 2005, $36,610). For other examples of Horner clock cases and Elliott movements, see Harvey Clars Auction Gallery, March 8, 2003, lot 1414 (same as Tobey model 31023) and Fontaine's Auction Gallery, February 8, 2003, lot 469 (same as Tobey model 3979), August 16, 2002, lot 176 (same as Tobey model 3979), and February 15, 2002, lot 20 (same as Tobey model 3979) Condition report Currently working, we do not guarantee the working order of clocks.
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