Tallcase Clock with Strike, Segmental Calendar and Rocking Ship Automaton

An excellent tallcase clock by Simon Willard. The Roxbury-style case contains fruitwood stringing and inlaid seashell and fan motifs. Elegantly shaped brass mounts adorn the freestanding fluted columns on the hood and brass capitals. The arched hood contains the distinctive pierced cresting for which Simon was known, exhibiting a sense of lightness and delicacy that is indicative of fine American craftsmanship in this period. The painted scene in the arch contains a ship at sea flying an American flag with a lighthouse in the distance. The automaton ship rocks amid the waves.

Simon Willard’s famous “Roxbury” tall clock cases are easily recognized by their fine details, elegant proportions and rich mahogany. Simon’s tallcase clocks were sought after by many affluent New England citizens of his day. The clocks of Boston became a sign of status due to their quality. A tallcase clock was often the most expensive object found in a late 18th or 19th century home. After about 1802, when his focus shifted to banjo and lighthouse clocks, Simon only made tallcase clocks as special commissions.