Shelf Clock 1790 - 1800

This "Shelf Clock" was crafted by Aaron Willard, an American clockmaker active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Here, we see time meticulously measured, encased in a wooden form. The clock, in its essence, is a symbol of the relentless march of time, an age-old obsession reflected in art across epochs. Consider the hourglass in medieval vanitas paintings, a memento mori, reminding us of life's fleeting nature. This Shelf Clock is an iteration of this symbol in a more practical, modern form. The act of measuring time becomes an assertion of control over our existence. Yet, time, like memory, is not linear. The clock's pendulum swings back and forth, a constant reminder of the cyclical nature of existence, echoing the myth of the eternal return. Just as the ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail, represents eternity and the cycle of life and death, the clock embodies our unending journey through time. The "Shelf Clock" serves as a poignant reminder of our place within the vast, ever-turning wheel of time.