This antique Chippendale cherry tall case clock, which has a mellow old surface, was produced by the rare clockmaker James Perrigo Jr. Perrigo, a descendant of French Huguenots, was born in Wrentham, Massachusetts in 1771, he worked as successful clockmaker and machinist in the area until his death in 1834. This antique tall clock exhibits both pleasing proportions and refined details and is clearly a successful interpretation of an early Roxbury case clock, by this provincial maker. This dial features a wonderfully painted lunette decorated with a detailed song bird on a foliate bough, within a gilt scrolled border. The four corner spandrels, which frame the dial face, feature polychrome floral sprays. The dial is boldly signed with the clock makers name and locale below the calendar “James Perrigo. Junr. / WRENTHAM”. Most of these rare clocks signed with Perrigo’s name include only his first initial “J” and no other documented examples are signed with his locale. The hood transitions into the waist of the case with a flared throat molding. The waist is fitted with a tombstone-form pendulum door, that is flanked by champhered corners with lamb’s-tongue terminations. This hinged door is fitted with a lock and brass keyhole escutcheon and opens to the original brass capped pendulum and tin can weights. Similarly, the waist transitions to the rectangular base with a flared molding. The base panel has a richly grained cherry panel and rests on bracket feet.
Dimensions: Overall height including center finial 90 ¼”; Width 20 ¼” Depth 10 ½".