American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts

Provenance:

Property from Atlanta History Center, Sold to Benefit the Care and Preservation of the Collections.

Literature:

Davison, Elizabeth A., The Furniture of John Shearer, 1790-1820: "A True North Britain" in the Southern Backcountry (Lanham, Maryland: AltaMira Press, 2011), pg. 24-25, fig. II.8 and pg. 161-164, figs. 22.1, 22.3 and 22.5; cat. no. 22.

The tall case clock made by Shearer in 1805 is rich in symbolic meaning, reflecting both personal pride and broader historical context. Most notably, the incised face on the plinth likely represents Neptune, the Roman god of the sea. While this reference fits with neoclassical design, Shearer used it to subtly express admiration for the British Royal Navy—specifically the ship HMS Neptune, which was part of the Channel Fleet defending Britain from France. The use of Neptune allowed Shearer to mask patriotic pride under the guise of classical mythology. Reinforcing this symbolism is an inlaid medallion featuring a fouled anchor, a well-known emblem of the Royal Navy. At the same time, the fouled anchor also served as a Masonic symbol for "hope and a peaceful harbor for the weary," recognized even by non-Masons. This dual symbolism allowed Shearer to express loyalty without overt political statements. Living as a loyal Scotsman in early 19th-century Virginia, Shearer used such coded language to safely celebrate British naval power—particularly during a time when recent naval victories had established Britain’s dominance at sea.

This clock is only one of three known tall case clocks assembled by Shearer.

case: loss to feet, with two blocks loosely affixed with museum wax to underside of front feet, retaining fairly even color throughout, retaining dark historic surface to recesses, base may have been shortened- hard to tell with certainty; difficult to tell whether works are original to the case, old loss to front left-facing corner of waist molding, bottom board is missing; face: cracquelure to enamel throughout, with small fragments of flaking to moon phase dial and edges of tablet, second hand is detached but retained, possible repainting to date ring, chime shaft will have to be tightened; hood: appears to retain original glass, with old chipped loss along left-facing side of cornice, left-facing window missing glass, the right-facing window with cracked glass, a few age cracks throughout; includes pendulum, two weights, and box full of additional elements; does not include a case key or winding key; takes a wind and runs, strikes on the hour, but hours are off and will need to be adjusted; though we do not guarantee mechanical functionality as a blanket policy for clocks

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