by Mike Mcgrail
This Newport-style clock is an amalgamation of different elements of several, mostly in the 9 volumes of American Antiques of the Israel Sack collection. The clock on page 1702, Volume 7, has the sort of the proportions I was shooting for. This piece is walnut with poplar secondary. The dial was cut from sheet brass and painted with white enamel. My mother painted the moon dial and corner florals. I lettered and numbered the dial. It is inscribed "Warranted for Mr. Matthew Mcgrail"- my son. The movement is a German Kieninger. I studied the examples from Sack's collection and also the drawings in Nutting's Furniture Treasury to arrive at the proportions and scale which I have always thought yielded a pleasing result. At the time I built this, I had not yet learned how to carve the sort of cupcake base the finials should have, so they are plain turned. This is my first piece with full blind dovetailed front bracket feet.