Text: Jennifer Boles
Shapely and statuesque, Swedish Mora clocks have the distinction of not only being the most feminine-looking of longcase clocks but also one of the most collaboratively made. Originating in the Swedish town of Mora during the 18th century, Mora clocks were first made by farmers as a way to earn money during lean times. But rather than one person being responsible for a clock from start to finish, Mora clockmaking became a cottage industry that benefitted a whole community—when a clock was built, one individual or family was responsible for making the clockworks, while another built the wood cases or applied the surface decorations. Additionally, the clockwork maker frequently signed his initials on the clock’s face as well as the name of the village where the clock was made, further signifying a community’s role in manufacturing.
Although its construction process might have been involved, the Mora clock’s design typically was not. In keeping with the neoclassical Gustavian style, the prevailing decorative style in Sweden during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the clock’s form tended to be restrained, though not at the expense of shape. Whereas the earliest cases had mostly straight lines, it was the curvy, hourglass case that became the Mora clock’s most celebrated feature, earning it the nickname “bride’s clock” because of its resemblance to a bride in her wedding dress. Slender at the top and wider toward the bottom, Mora clock cases were also sometimes designed with storage space inside, adding to the clock’s functionality.
Because Mora clocks eventually came to be made throughout Sweden, and because they were usually made-to-order, there were variations when it came to applied decoration. Many, if not most, clocks were minimally decorated, with surfaces often painted simply in pale shades of blue, gray, or white, colors which were widely used throughout Sweden as a means of introducing brightness into sunlight-deprived interiors. Carvings were also sometimes added to clock cases, usually around the crown, or top, of the clock. The most elaborate designs, however, could be found on those clocks ordered by the wealthy, including members of the Swedish royal family. Ornately painted styles were not uncommon, with botanical scenes and chinoiserie motifs being some of the most popular.
By the mid- to late 19th century, mass-produced clocks made in Sweden and America began to overtake Mora clocks in popularity, so that by the late 19th century, Mora clocks ceased to be made. But even with changing tastes and fashions, Mora clocks remained fixtures in Swedish homes, where they were handed down through generations, assuring their safe passage into the 21st century.
need to KNOW
• Although the name “Mora” is the term used generally to describe these clocks, only those clocks made in the town of Mora can accurately lay claim to the name. Mora-style clocks produced elsewhere in Sweden are sometimes referred to using their specific place of manufacture.
• There is some variety in Mora clocks’ style and finish, something that can help to indicate a clock’s origins. “The clocks made in northern Sweden are taller and much thinner in profile; many of these northern, or Norrbotten, clocks have elaborately carved headdresses or crowns with tiny crosses in the design. Another highly identifiable detail would be in the Southern Fryksdahl-style clocks from Värmland, Sweden. The clockmakers there always used stylized roses, rosettes, and small carved stars on the neck and sometimes the waist,” says Ella Benton, a Texas-based dealer whose antiques business, VE designs, specializes in Mora clocks. She adds that clocks made in the southern part of Sweden tend to have wider middles and more exaggerated curves.
• Benton advises collectors to look for clocks that are complete. “It should have the mechanism and face, the pendulum, and weights. If you can find one that has its original paint finish left intact, that is very desirable. Another plus would be if the clock’s original antique glass, full of bubbles and inconsistencies, is still intact.”
• Condition and provenance affect prices of Mora clocks, which at Benton’s shop typically range from $2,800 to $15,500. “A beautifully maintained clock from the mid-1700s with original paint, decorative carvings, antique domed glass, and all its old parts would be on the highest end of the spectrum, compared to a simple country Mora from the late 1800s that has layers of paint on it.”
