Clock
ca. 1880 (designed and made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This small clock was designed for fashionable homes of the late 19th century. The relatively crude carving of the case may mean it was an inexpensive clock, even though the lettering on the dial suggests the maker, Howell James & Co., supplied clocks to Queen Victoria.
Time
Japan was closed to most outsiders from 1639 to the 1850s, when direct trading with Europe was resumed. Displays of Japanese objects at International Fairs in London in 1862 and Paris in 1867 caused great excitement, and by the 1880s all things Japanese were the height of fashion. This influence is apparent in the decoration of the clock, although in fact it bears little resemblance to authentic Japanese design.
People
The clock's designer, Lewis F. Day (1845-1910), had a strong relationship with this Museum and the art school attached to it. He is best known for his ceramics and wallpapers, and for his writings on the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Subjects Depicted
Sunflowers, shown on the porcelain dial of the clock, were popular in Aesthetic Movement decoration. Lampooning the style, Edward Linley-Sambourne depicted the poet, playwright and aesthete Oscar Wilde as a sunflower in a Punch magazine cartoon in 1881.
This small clock was designed for fashionable homes of the late 19th century. The relatively crude carving of the case may mean it was an inexpensive clock, even though the lettering on the dial suggests the maker, Howell James & Co., supplied clocks to Queen Victoria.
Time
Japan was closed to most outsiders from 1639 to the 1850s, when direct trading with Europe was resumed. Displays of Japanese objects at International Fairs in London in 1862 and Paris in 1867 caused great excitement, and by the 1880s all things Japanese were the height of fashion. This influence is apparent in the decoration of the clock, although in fact it bears little resemblance to authentic Japanese design.
People
The clock's designer, Lewis F. Day (1845-1910), had a strong relationship with this Museum and the art school attached to it. He is best known for his ceramics and wallpapers, and for his writings on the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Subjects Depicted
Sunflowers, shown on the porcelain dial of the clock, were popular in Aesthetic Movement decoration. Lampooning the style, Edward Linley-Sambourne depicted the poet, playwright and aesthete Oscar Wilde as a sunflower in a Punch magazine cartoon in 1881.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Ebonised birch wood case, with porcelain face |
| Brief description | Sunflower dial clock, ebonised wood case and porcelain face, designed by Lewis Foreman Day, and made by Howell James & Co of London, England, about 1880 |
| Physical description | Clock, ebonised birch wood case, with porcelain face, fretwork decoration with flowers on its face |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Designed by Lewis F. Day (born in London, 1845, died there in 1910); made by Howell James & Co., London "Day was a teacher and prolific designer within the South Kensington network, whose books frequently included Japanese examples. The ebonised case of this clock, with its fretwork decoration, and the flowers on its face have little to do with real Japanese decoration but would instantly have suggested the Japanese taste to Day’s contemporaries." Ornament Gallery text. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type This small clock was designed for fashionable homes of the late 19th century. The relatively crude carving of the case may mean it was an inexpensive clock, even though the lettering on the dial suggests the maker, Howell James & Co., supplied clocks to Queen Victoria. Time Japan was closed to most outsiders from 1639 to the 1850s, when direct trading with Europe was resumed. Displays of Japanese objects at International Fairs in London in 1862 and Paris in 1867 caused great excitement, and by the 1880s all things Japanese were the height of fashion. This influence is apparent in the decoration of the clock, although in fact it bears little resemblance to authentic Japanese design. People The clock's designer, Lewis F. Day (1845-1910), had a strong relationship with this Museum and the art school attached to it. He is best known for his ceramics and wallpapers, and for his writings on the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Subjects Depicted Sunflowers, shown on the porcelain dial of the clock, were popular in Aesthetic Movement decoration. Lampooning the style, Edward Linley-Sambourne depicted the poet, playwright and aesthete Oscar Wilde as a sunflower in a Punch magazine cartoon in 1881. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.662-1972 |
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| Record created | July 4, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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