William L. Gilbert Clock Company 'The Amphion' Shelf Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1884
This antique 'Amphion' model shelf clock, produced circa 1884 by the William L. Gilbert Clock Company of Winsted, Connecticut, features an elaborate walnut case.
The architectural design includes ebonized highlights, beveled mirrors with wheat motifs, and a pediment centered with a carved crest featuring a bust of Jenny Lind. The dome-topped door displays reverse-painted bird and grass imagery, allowing visibility of the pendulum and dial. Internally, the clock houses a rectilinear skeletonized brass eight-day movement that strikes on a patent-dated George B. Owen 'Cathedral' gong.
The original manufacturer's paper label remains on the backboard. This distinctive Eastlake-style timepiece demonstrates significant craftsmanship through its numerous moldings and applied carvings.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Date
- c. 1884
- Type
- Mantel clock
- Maker
- William L. Gilbert Clock Company
- Gong Patent
- April 18, 1882
- Movement Type
- Eight-day
- Place recorded
- United States
- Maker / attribution
- William L. Gilbert Clock Company
Design
- Visible features
- • Walnut case with ebonized highlights and applied carvings • Reverse-painted glass panel depicting birds in grass • Includes winding key and a small circular object for scale • Beveled mirror panels with wheat decorations
- Walnut case and carved crest
- The auction description identifies this shelf clock as the Amphion by the William L. Gilbert Clock Company of Winsted, Connecticut, with an approximate date of 1884 in the lot title. Its walnut case is described with shaped mouldings, applied carving, Eastlake designs and ebonized highlighting. These are features of the particular case recorded by the seller, rather than independent proof of its date or originality. The pediment has a central fleur-de-lys and shield-shaped carved crest. The source identifies the bust within the shield as Jenny Lind. Scrolled side crests with wooden rondels stand on either side, above an overhanging stepped architectural pediment. Triangular walnut spandrels appear above the door arch.
- Door glass and mirrored panels
- The dome-topped door is described as carrying glass decorated from the reverse with a delicate silver transfer showing two birds in grass. The source says the design permits a view of both the dial and swinging pendulum. This description distinguishes the door decoration from the separate mirrored panels. Bevelled mirrors stand on either side of the door and carry a wheat decoration. Below them are square ebony-edged blocks. A third cut-glass mirrored panel occupies the architectural base, flanked by cut foliate walnut forms. The repeated glass elements and carved framing are recorded features, not an assessment of restoration history.
- Source reported movement and surviving label
- Behind the dial, the seller records a rectilinear skeletonized brass eight-day movement, with the front plate die-stamped by the maker. Hour and half-hour striking is described on a wire Cathedral gong mounted at the case back. The quoted gong patent is attributed to George B. Owen, number 256,727, dated April 18, 1882; this dates the cited patent rather than independently dating assembly of this clock. The pendulum is described with multiple rods and a brass-bezel bob supporting decorative reverse-cut glass. A paper label remains on the backboard, naming Amphion and the Wm. L. Gilbert Clock Co. of Winsted, Connecticut. These internal features and label readings are source-reported: the held front photograph does not independently establish the movement markings or current mechanical condition.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Internal movement condition is not visually verified
- Research required: Functional state of the striking mechanism is not confirmed beyond the item title
- Research required: Sold 'as is'