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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Pillar and scroll shelf clock

E. Terry & Sons Pillar and Scroll Shelf Clock

Partially verified

This nineteenth-century American shelf clock is attributed by the auction house to E. Terry & Sons and constructed in the pillar and scroll form. The mahogany case stands approximately 31 1/2 inches high, featuring a scrolled crest with three brass urn-form finials, slender flanking turned columns, and a shaped bracket base. A single hinged glazed door contains an upper clear panel showing a painted wooden dial with Arabic numerals, two winding arbors, and pierced black hands, over a reverse-painted lower tablet portraying a building and landscape with an oval pendulum aperture. Schmidt's Antiques notes a 30-hour weight-driven wooden time and strike movement and a facsimile paper label.

Front view of the E. Terry & Sons pillar and scroll mahogany shelf clock showing dial and painted tablet
Front view of the E. Terry & Sons pillar and scroll mahogany shelf clock showing dial and painted tablet — Schmidt's Antiques Inc. Since 1911. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.liveauctioneers.com
Category
Clock · Pillar and scroll shelf clock
Maker / attribution
E. Terry & Sons
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
0191
Source-reported date
19th century
Country
United States

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Identity and Attribution

The auction catalog attributes this nineteenth-century shelf clock to American maker E. Terry & Sons, cataloging it under the pillar and scroll form. This attribution is reported by the auction house alongside an explicit note regarding interior labeling.

Specifically, the auction listing documents a "Facsimile paper label" rather than an original nineteenth-century maker's label inside the case. The attribution therefore relies on the catalog description and form typology rather than confirmed original internal label evidence.

Evidence for this section
  • “A 19th century E. Terry & Sons Pillar and Scroll shelf clock.”
  • “Facsimile paper label.”

Case Architecture and Visible Exterior

The clock measures 31 1/2 inches high overall and features a mahogany case with a scrolled crest surmounted by three brass finials. The case is flanked by slender turned columns set on a scrolled base.

A single door contains an upper clear glass pane over the dial and a reverse-painted lower tablet. Visual observation confirms the reverse-painted lower tablet depicts a white multi-story building and landscape with an oval pendulum aperture.

Evidence for this section
  • “31 1/2" high overall.”
  • “Mahogany case with scrolled crest and Brass finials, single door with clear dial glass and reverse painted lower flanked by slender turned columns on a scrolled base.”
  • “Reverse-painted lower glass tablet depicting a white multi-story building, landscape, and an oval pendulum aperture.”

Dial, Movement, and Mechanism Reports

The dial is described as a painted wooden dial with Arabic numerals, and visual observation shows painted spandrels, two winding arbors, and pierced hands. The auction record notes observable "dial wear."

The listing reports a "30-hr weight driven wooden time and strike movement" and states that the clock was "running when cataloged." The internal movement and weights are not visible in the exterior photograph, and operational condition reflects the seller's catalog report rather than verified current performance.

Evidence for this section
  • “30-hr weight driven wooden time and strike movement with painted wooden dial and Arabic numerals.”
  • “Painted dial featuring Arabic hour numerals, painted spandrels, two winding arbors, and pierced hands.”
  • “Older refinishing with minor damage, dial wear, restoration to crest and base, running when cataloged.”

Condition and Prior Interventions

The listing records prior physical interventions on the clock, explicitly documenting "Older refinishing with minor damage" and "restoration to crest and base."

Specific details regarding which parts of the crest or base were repaired or replaced are not recorded in this source.

Evidence for this section
  • “Older refinishing with minor damage, dial wear, restoration to crest and base, running when cataloged.”

Open research questions

  • What specific portions of the scrolled crest and base were rebuilt or repaired during the recorded restorations?
  • What text does the facsimile paper label reproduce, and does any remnant of an original label survive beneath it?
  • Are the internal wooden movement components and weights period-original and complete?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for E. Terry & Sons Pillar and Scroll Shelf Clock
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Maker attributionE. Terry & Sons“A 19th century E. Terry & Sons Pillar and Scroll shelf clock.”
Movement type30-hr weight driven wooden time and strike movement“30-hr weight driven wooden time and strike movement with painted wooden dial and Arabic numerals.”
Case constructionMahogany case with scrolled crest and Brass finials“Mahogany case with scrolled crest and Brass finials, single door with clear dial glass and reverse painted lower flanked by slender turned columns on a scrolled base.”
Label statusFacsimile paper label“Facsimile paper label.”
Dimensions31 1/2" high overall“31 1/2" high overall.”
Operational state at catalogingRunning when cataloged“running when cataloged.”
Documented alterationsOlder refinishing with minor damage, dial wear, restoration to crest and base“Older refinishing with minor damage, dial wear, restoration to crest and base”

Visible details

  • Scrolled crest supporting three brass urn-shaped finials across the top pediment.
  • Reverse-painted lower glass tablet depicting a white multi-story building, landscape, and an oval pendulum aperture.
  • Painted dial featuring Arabic hour numerals, painted spandrels, two winding arbors, and pierced hands.
  • Mahogany case framed by slender turned flanking side columns terminating on a shaped bracket base.

Research qualifications

  • Source notes the interior bears a facsimile paper label rather than an original label.
  • Internal 30-hour wooden movement and weights are reported by the auctioneer but not visible in the exterior photograph.
  • Catalog documents older refinishing, minor damage, dial wear, and prior restoration to the crest and base.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

E Terry & Sons Pillar & Scroll Shelf Clock - Oct 14, 2023 | Schmidt's Antiques Inc. Since 1911 In Mi

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record a957874d4c

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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