Clock, wood, iron, lead and brass with painted decoration and gilded cast ornament, Dutch, late 18th- early 19th century

This clock on its wooden bracket with arched canopy is decorated with gilded lead heraldic ornament and of a type known as a Stohl Klok (chair clock) associated with Friesland and the city of Leeuwarden.

By the early eighteenth century, particularly in Friesland, the brass dial and movement were sometimes set in a decorative case with cresting that included coats of arms and heraldic supporters indicating the status of the owner. Such clocks were known as 'Stoel Klok' (chair clock). The imposing Stoelklok is distinguished by its elaborate cast fretwork crown adorned with a "jewel". The Dutch Stoelklok means "Stool Clock" or "Seat Clock" as the elaborately pillared movement sits firmly upon a chair-like wooden platform with a backboard and arched hood.

The dial plate is painted with a Dutch canal scene above and flowers (water lilies?) below. There are two armorial shields both with lion supporters on the cresting of the hood and the cresting above the dial; the lower painted coat of arms shows a swan on a red ground and may identify an earlier owner.