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Tall-Case Clock

1765–75
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 751
This clock possesses a sophisticated weight-powered movement that runs for eight days and chimes on the hour. Its mahogany case, with intricate carving and appliqués, possesses a cockerel cartouche at the top—a motif frequently seen on English and French clocks, but rarely on American examples. The cockerel may have been a reference to the Apostle Peter, patron saint of watchmakers, or to Christ’s proclamation at the Last Supper, "I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me" (Luke 22:34). Duffield was a leading Philadelphia clockmaker known for his friendship with Benjamin Franklin. He made clocks for Franklin’s family and served as executor of his estate.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Tall-Case Clock
  • Maker: Edward Duffield (American, 1730–1803)
  • Date: 1765–75
  • Geography: Made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Mahogany, yellow poplar, white pine; brass, iron, glass
  • Dimensions: 8 ft. 9 in. × 19 1/2 in. × 10 1/2 in. (266.7 × 49.5 × 26.7 cm)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, William Cullen Bryant Fellows and Close Friends Gifts, in honor of Morrison H. Heckscher, 2014
  • Object Number: 2014.223a–c
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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