Feren & Co, Edinburgh – 1840
£3,550.00
An attractive and unusual small-scale longcase by Feren & Co of Edinburgh, dating to around 1840. Standing at just 146 cm, this example falls into what would now be termed a “grandmother” clock — though that distinction is a later convention. Its compact proportions immediately distinguish it from the standard Scottish longcase and raise interesting questions about its original purpose.
The reduced scale suggests several possibilities. It may have been conceived as an apprentice or demonstrator piece, showcasing the maker’s skill in case proportion and movement execution. Equally plausible is that it served as a sample clock intended for display in a workshop or showroom. However, the fact that it began life as a weight-driven movement indicates it was no mere toy or novelty. It may well have been commissioned for a gentleman’s library or town residence where space was limited but quality remained paramount.
Interestingly, we have encountered only one comparable example, that from Glasgow, suggesting that such small-scale Scottish longcases were never common. Around 1880 the clock was sensitively converted to a good quality spring-driven eight-day movement striking the hours on a bell — a practical alteration typical of the late Victorian period when convenience increasingly outweighed strict originality.
The case retains the restrained architectural character associated with Edinburgh work of the period. On this scale, the vertical lines are accentuated, giving the piece a refined and almost cabinet-like presence. It is, in effect, a classic Edinburgh longcase reduced in stature but not in dignity — and for the modern interior, far more adaptable than its taller counterparts.
A rare and appealing Scottish clock which, by virtue of its proportions, would sit comfortably in almost any home while still retaining the authority of a true longcase.
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