Mulberry Tompion
- Gallery: Room 39
- Maker: Thomas Tompion
- Made in: London (England)
- Date: 1695-1705
- Object type: calendar clock, hour-striking clock, long-case clock
- Materials: mulberry (case); oak (case); gold
- Museum number: 1958,1006.2131
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is "The Mulberry Tompion," a stunning long-case clock made in London by Thomas Tompion around 1701. This one-month movement clock features a silvered dial with a chapter ring for hours and minutes, as well as a subsidiary seconds dial in the center. Its calendar aperture is beautifully set against a rich, gilded background.
The case itself is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, crafted from what was thought to be mulberry wood, but is actually burr maple enhanced with acid treatment and inlaid stringing. The clock's ornate hood features plain turned columns and finely crafted gilded capitals. Atop sit five gilded “flaming vase” finials that add an air of grandeur.
Inside, the anchor escapement and hour-striking mechanism reflect the technical sophistication of the era. The finely proportioned design would have graced stately English homes in the early 1700s, and this elegant piece remains a remarkable example of 18th-century English clockmaking.
See it in person
Mulberry Tompion is on display in Room 39 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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