Wall clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1879
This wall-mounted clock was designed by the British designer Lewis Foreman Day in 1879, possibly made in London. Executed in the Aesthetic style, it is constructed of ebonised mahogany and painted en grisaille. The structure measures 60 cm in height, 38 cm in width, and 15 cm in depth, framed by shaped mouldings and incised decorative elements.
The clock features a central projecting section with a dial painted with a sunrise or sunset over the ocean, surrounded by stars and the four phases of the moon. Flanking the clock face are two upright side panels depicting female figures in draped gowns, identified as representations of Moonlight on the left and Sunlight on the right. Oblong panels positioned above and below the face depict recumbent male figures representing country trades: 'The Fowler' hunting wild birds at the top and 'The Shepherd' below. Two pencil inscriptions reading 'Lewis F Day 1879' are located inside the back of the clock, positioned above and below the movement.
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.
Historical context
Although Lewis F. Day designed numerous clocks intended for shelves or brackets, this represents his only known wall clock design, and is one of two surviving examples. Many of Day's clocks were retailed by Howell & James of Regent Street, London. The figurative panels were adapted from a broader series Day created depicting country trades—including figures like 'The Fowler' and 'The Shepherd'—which he also utilised for decorative tiles and ceramics. The accompanying female figures were similarly repurposed from designs previously exhibited on a pair of vases shown at the Paris Exhibition of 1878.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Mahogany, ebonised and painted en grisaille
- Dimensions
- Height: 60 cm; Width: 38 cm; Depth: 15 cm
Technical characteristics
- Inscriptions
- Date: Text: Research required; Latest: Research required; Earliest: Research required; Note: Two pencil inscriptions inside back of clock, one above and the other below the movement; Type: Research required; Medium: Research required; Method: Research required; Script: Research required; Content: Lewis F Day 1879; Language: Research required; Position: Research required; Inscriber: Name: Id: Research required; Text: Research required; Association: Id: Research required; Text: Research required; Description: Research required; Translation: Research required; Interpretation: Research required; Transliteration: Research required
- Maker recorded
- Day, Lewis Foreman
- Place recorded
- London
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Wall clock
- Museum object number
- W.27-2008
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.