Gustavian Mora clocks are a type of longcase clock which were made in, and derived their name from, the town of Mora in

Dalarna Dalarna (; ), also referred to by the English exonyms Dalecarlia and the Dales, is a (historical province) in central Sweden. Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Nor ...

province,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. Production began in the late 18th century and continued through most of the 19th century, finally succumbing to the increased competition from newer styles and cheaper

mass production Mass production, also known as mass production, series production, series manufacture, or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines ...

methods.

History

Mora clock faces are often marked with the inscription "A A S Mora"—the initials of Krång Anders Andersson (1727-1799) of

Östnor Östnor is a urban areas of Sweden, locality situated in Mora Municipality, Sweden, Mora Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden with 534 inhabitants in 2010. References

Populated places in Mora Municipality, Sweden {{Dalarna-geo-stub ...

, traditionally known as the first clockmaker in the district of Mora. The discovery of his initials on a clock movement dated 1792 has been taken as evidence that the cottage clock industry was already flourishing by this time. This cooperative manufacture of clocks in Mora arose as a source of supplemental income for the farm families of this agriculturally poor region. Each family would "specialise" by making one or more of the parts required. A finished clock would often be sold without a case—the buyer then arranging for one to be made, often locally. This helps to explain the great variety of cases that exist. Regional differences exist within Sweden as to the styles of Mora Clocks made. The style of Mora Clocks made in the North of Sweden though featuring the same basic shape differed quite markedly from those Mora Clocks made in the South of Sweden. Gunnar Pipping has estimated that more than 50,000 Mora clock mechanisms were made throughout the 19th century. At the peak period of their production, as many as 1,000 clocks were being made each year. Within 80 years, however, competition from inexpensive German and American clocks helped put an end to this cottage industry. Regional difference existed in the style of Mora clocks made during this period.

Mechanism

The clocks have eight-day movements and strike the hours on two bells mounted above the clock mechanism or alternatively on a spiral wire gong. The weights were made of

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...

References

*Sidenbladh, E. ''Urmakare i Sverige under äldre tider'', Nordiska Museet: Stockholm, 1918 (revised 1947). *Pipping, Gunnar, Elis Sidenbladh och Erik Elfström: ''Urmakare och klockor i Sverige och Finland''. Stockholm : Norstedts, c1995.

External links

* {{Commons category-inline Clock brands

Clock A clock or chronometer is a device that measures and displays time. The clock is one of the oldest Invention, human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month, a ...

Longcase clocks