Oriental Style Clock
An oriental style clock brings rich lacquer and distinct painted decoration into a room, offering both traditional timekeeping and striking visual depth.
Oriental Style Clock
An oriental style clock spans several centuries of European interpretation, frequently adopting Chinoiserie aesthetics to decorate timepieces. Buyers searching this phrase encounter a variety of forms, from compact mantel clocks to tall floor-standing longcase and grandmother clocks.
The pieces listed here lean heavily towards early twentieth-century production, particularly the 1920s and 1930s revival periods. Alongside these, earlier examples from the nineteenth and eighteenth centuries appear, showing how cabinetmakers adapted Asian decorative motifs for British interiors.
Mantel clocks and larger floor clocks dominate the selection, often finished in striking colours like black, blue, green, and cream. These objects combine functional clockwork movements with elaborate painted and lacquered wooden cases.
How they were made
Makers constructed the cases using wood, which provided a stable foundation for the application of lacquer finishes. Artisans built longcase, bracket, and mantel bodies before applying layers of paint and lacquer to achieve a smooth, glossy surface.
Decoration relied on painting, gilt, and gold leaf to render oriental scenes upon the lacquered wood. Movement construction involved brass and glass components, housing mechanical works that sometimes included musical capabilities and Westminster chimes.
What varies in quality
The standard of a clock rests on the harmony between the case decoration and the mechanical movement housed inside. Superior examples feature crisp hand-painted Chinoiserie detail upon deep lacquer, paired with robust eight-day or three-train movements by reputable makers.
Execution of the wooden case distinguishes standard production from finer work, particularly in the depth of the lacquer finish and the preservation of the gilt highlights. Well-proportioned longcase and mantel bodies maintain structural integrity alongside intricate surface art.
Elliott London·Gardner of London
The Oriental Style Clock Glossary
- Chinoiserie
- European decorative style reflecting Chinese artistic influences, popular in furniture and clock cases. It often employs painted figures, pagodas, and landscapes against a lacquered background.
- Lacquered wood
- Timber finished with multiple coats of resin or varnish to produce a hard, durable shine. This technique protects the underlying wood while allowing for vibrant surface decoration.
- Grandmother clock
- A slender floor-standing clock smaller than a traditional longcase clock. It offers similar mechanical complexity in a more compact domestic scale.
- Mantel clock
- A portable clock designed to sit on a shelf or fireplace mantelpiece. These pieces rely on compact movements suited for smaller furniture surfaces.
- Bracket clock
- A portable table or shelf clock originating from the period when clocks stood upon wall brackets. They often feature elaborate carrying handles and glazed side panels.
Oriental Style Clock: Frequently Asked Questions
What is an oriental style clock?
An oriental style clock is a timepiece housed in a case decorated with Asian-inspired motifs, predominantly executed in the European Chinoiserie tradition.
These pieces range from small mantel clocks to tall floor-standing longcases, utilising lacquered wood and painted scenes.
How do I date a lacquered clock?
Dating relies on examining the construction of the wooden case, the style of the painted decoration, and the mechanical movement.
Twentieth-century revival pieces often show different internal hardware compared to genuine eighteenth-century examples.
Where should I place a longcase clock?
Longcase and grandmother clocks require a stable, upright position against a wall to ensure the pendulum swings correctly.
Avoid placing them in areas subject to extreme temperature fluctuations or direct sunlight that might affect the lacquer.
What is the difference between a grandmother and grandfather clock?
A grandmother clock is simply a smaller version of the traditional grandfather or longcase clock.
It is scaled down for smaller rooms while retaining the same mechanical timekeeping functions.