Re: What does "original finish" mean, exactly?

"Ronnie McKinley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> In rec.antiques  "C." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> C. you'll note its not the normal (painted) arched dial.
>
> http://www.glenbourne-antiques.fsnet.co.uk/image.jpg
>
>


I spent a good deal of time looking at this study, thank you for posting
it!. Just  looking at it convinces me the maker knew the  clock would
reflect that wonderful oval face throughout. The more I look at it, the more
I prefer it over the arched face. The hood perfectly follows the contours
and the oval face gets reflected again in the neo-classical fans, and that
great urn. And the way the scrolling is contoured draws the eye to see the
round clock face inside the oval. The choice of the leaf on top, the ovoid
cut outs in the leaf,  the negative space through the horns, even the
outside shape of the roses echo that oval face. And  then as your eye drops,
drawn by those well made pillars, the inter-woven lines of the casing
prepare you for the long, clean move to the floor. But even here, echoes of
the face are still seen on the top of the door.

You mentioned in your posting that this clock has some regional features
reflecting Northern Ireland. I wonder if I could ask a few questions to see
if I am on  the right track...

The horizontal lines on the casing running around the case look Celtic to
me, however lacking the curved lines. Would this be one of the regional
features? Would the maker have left out the curved lines so they would not
detract from the bottom part of the case? The angled lines almost hint of
those curved lines I am used  to seeing in similar Celtic designs.

Roses for many speak of England, however I recall many references to wild
Irish roses, for instance:

In a field by a river
my love and I did lie
And on my naked shoulder
she too proud to cry
She said that I must leave her
an icy tear she froze
How could I melt the heart
Of a Wild Irish Rose

Would the roses on the horns be representative of the Irish Rose, and be one
of the regional features?

The leaf looks like an oak leaf. The Irish Oak is,  I believe, a separate
species from the English Oak. Is this one of the regional features? If so,
is there some specific allusion to having the two roses bracket  the oak
leaf?

The time of George  the Third was also the time of Flood, and Gratton, and
the Union Act of 1800. Maybe these roses and oak leaves mean something
different?  Maybe they just look pretty together.

The oval face is one I am  not used to. Is this in itself a regional
feature?  Most English clocks have the arched face. Knowing  there was some
historic tension at this time,  would some Irish clock makers have crafted
this oval face specifically to be unlike the English clocks?

Sorry for all the questions. It is a very striking clock, one I think worth
learning about. I am likely way off base, however, I enjoy learning anything
I can about these old things.

Thank you again. Mr. McKinley for taking the time to post  the  study, and
hopefully help me learn  a little about your clock.

C.