A Federal inlaid and figured mahogany dwarf clock, the dial signed by James C. Cole, Rochester, New Hampshire circa 1815

With restorations.

Ruth, John Lowry, editor. Timepieces Quarterly, Volume I, November 1948, p. 38

With restorations.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Of rare diminutive form, this tall case clock has been finely executed in detail in miniature, from its vibrantly-figured and inlaid mahogany Federal case with ogee bracket feet to its brass 8-day movement with time and strike mechanism driven by weights that are specially shaped to fit into the case. The quality of the craftsmanship serves as testament that New Hampshire cabinetmakers and clockmakers were capable of producing work that rivaled that made in urban areas.

The name, J. C. Cole, engraved on the face identifies the clockmaker as James C. Cole of Rochester, New York. Charles S. Parsons writes in New Hampshire Clocks & Clockmakers (Exeter, 1976, p. 306) that James C. Cole was born in Boston in 1791 and died in Rochester on December 23, 1867. He moved to Rochester at a young age to serve an apprenticeship with Edward S. Moulton before establishing a business as a clockmaker, watchmaker and jeweler in 1812. He carried on an extensive business at his brick store in Rochester for decades making tall clocks, banjo clocks, silver spoons, and ladles. He employed several journeymen, apprentices, and a cabinetmaker to prepare the cases. The latter was perhaps Charles Dennett (1788-1867), a Rochester cabinetmaker and maker of "inlaid clock cases" who may have supplied Cole with some of his cases. In addition to running a successful business, Cole was a prominent citizen in Rochester, where he served as Town Clerk, secretary to the Masonic Lodge, trustee of a savings bank, and two years in the legislature. He continued to work until his death in 1867 and was succeeded by A. F. Chandler.

James Cole executed a similar movement with the elaboration of a rocking sailing ship in the arch for a tall-case clock illustrated in Lester Dworetsky and Robert Dickstein, Horology Americana, New York, 1972, p. 22. That clock displays a Federal case of similar quality and design to that of the present clock. For two additional clocks by this maker, see Parsons, figs. 338-40, p. 190 and 373-75.