More Mora Clocks

Mora clocks are longcase clocks with a pendulum and weights. They date from the late 1700s through the 1800s. The clock movements were made in the Mora area of Sweden.

They are eight-day clock movements. That means they only have to be wound once a week.

Mora clocks have two weights, one for the pendulum and the other the striking mechanism for the bell. The face of the clock has two keyholes to wind the weights back up.

The pendulum swings, the weights lower, the hands move. There are more detailed descriptions if you want to google for them. Or you can open an old clock and see.

The weights are very heavy, made of cast iron.

Probably more than 50,000 Mora clock mechanisms were made. They were sold without the case. Cases were made all over and they are often quite different.

Mora Clocks on eBay >

Photos of Mora Clocks

Usually Mora clocks have this shape. Round bonnet, the part that slips over the clock face with a cabinet that looks like it has a waist and skirt.

It is said to be a figure eight or a rounded female form. Traditionally the cases made in the north of Sweden were tall and thin. Clocks made in the south were shorter and fatter.

See the urn on top? Urns and fans were popular to top the bonnet.

Mora clocks are usually painted in light colors with gold detail. This clock has the fan detail on top.

Clocks were often later painted with floral patterns or scenes. Some have Chinese scenes.

This Mora clock photo was placed in the public domain by G N Frykman. The only information on it is that it is from 1834 and the painting on the case is not original.

This Mora clock belongs to G N Frykman, the same name.

Who is G N Frykman?

G N Frykman has a few photos on Wikimedia Commons. Some are of the Warwick School, so I guessed  this is the same G N Frykman who co-wrote Warwick School : A History.

It is.

Gervald Frykman

Born in Oxford, England 62 years ago. Attended Magdalen College School, Oxford and then Magdalen College, Oxford, reading chemistry. Finally, St John’s College, Cambridge, to get a post-graduate certificate in education. Full style is therefore MA(Oxon) PGCE(Cantab). After a short spell at Abingdon School, moved to Warwick School in 1981. In 2002 appointed as the first Archivist of Warwick School, a post he still holds. Wrote, with Eric Hadley, Warwick School: A History which was published by Gresham Books of Oxford in November 2004, with a second edition appearing 10 years later. He liaises with Old Warwickians and, before retirement in 2015, was Head of UCAS and also Educational Visits Co-ordinator, as well as serving as Chairman of Common Room of Warwick School.

Wikipedia

Mora movements are found in clocks that don’t look like Mora clocks at all.
This clock has a Mora movement.

This looks like a Comtoise clock, a 17th century French-made clock. But it has a Mora movement.

This clock is in the Hallwyl Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

Google Translation

GOLVUR (so called maybelocka) with two soles and a wrench.

Pine lining, iron plate dial, both white painted, iron work, with commuting and percussion. The color of the lining yellowed.

Clocks and lips from the last half of the 19th century.
The fodder made in Ångermanland.
The excavation preached in Dalarna, probably by Anders Mattson, Mora, according to the almost wrecked signing.
Purchased by Wilhellmina von Hallwyl 28/1 1898 by the antique dealer E. J. Andersson.
Repaired 1895-1899 by carpenter C. H. Benckert Jr.r.

Dalarna is the larger region around Mora.

Many Mora clocks are marked A A S Mora.  Krång Anders Andersson is traditionally known as the first clockmaker in the district of Mora. Clocks were made by many people. I don’t know who Anders Mattson was. I found an Anders Mattsson in the area at the time, though. There are still Anders Mattssons in Mora on Linkedin.

I Found a Mora Clock

This is the Mora clock I found on eBay. We will finish putting it together when the new house is finished.

Finding My Mora Clock >