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| During the first half of the 20th century Dutch designers concentrated on the clock case. They followed international examples of the Jugendstil and Arts & Crafts Movement. |
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| Clocks in the Nieuwe Kunst style |
The long case clock with double striking mechanism (1901) by Chris Wegerif (1859-1920) in the Haags Gemeentemuseum (Hague Municipal Museum) was exhibited at the 1902 International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Turin (Italy). The case of ebonized and ivorized teak is a fine example of Nieuwe Kunst, a decorative arts movement with similarities to the German-Austrian Jugendstil. In 1898 Wegerif and his wife Agathe, together with J. Thorn Prikker, established a company in The Hague under the (English!) name of Arts and Crafts. Since 1900 Wegerif has used his own designs.
As a reaction to the designs by Wegerif's Arts and Crafts, H.P. Berlage (1856-1934) and Jac. Van den Bosch (1868-1948) established the interior design company 't Binnenhuis in 1900. Their designs are more architectonic and are usually executed in oakwood and copper. Among the earlier clocks designed by Berlage, are a brass from 1901 (collection Haags Gemeentemuseum) and a long case clock (collection Kröller-Müller Museum). W. Penaat (1875-1957) also designed for 't Binnenhuis. A wall clock in oak wood with brass dial dating from c. 1902 and attributed to him is known. The Centraal Museum Utrecht possesses a mahogany with enamelled dial dating from 1920 and made by Jac. van den Bosch. The ceramic artist J. Mendes da Costa (1863-1939) manufactured ceramic clock cases. He also worked with 't Binnenhuis. His clock (c. 1900) in the collection at the Museum Boymans van Beuningen is painted with clowns and monkeys, inspired by grotesque figures from medieval art and architecture.
The ceramic artist Lambertus (Bert) Nienhuis (1873-1960) designed clock cases for Plateelbakkerij De Distel (*1895) in Amsterdam and Plateelbakkerij Purmerend (*1903). The design and painting of ceramic clocks is characteristic of the Nieuwe Kunst movement and uses abstract natural patterns. Examples of his work are to be found in the collecties of Museum Boymans van Beuningen in Rotterdam (ceramic clock with enamelled dial, ca. 1904) and the Amsterdams Historisch Museum.
Clock designs by the Amsterdam silversmith Jan Eisenloeffel (1876-1957) are in general lavishly and exotically decorated. Examples of his work are represented in the Dutch Gold, Silver and Clock Museum in Schoonhoven (table clock of embossed and cast copper with enamel dial, c. 1910), the Centraal Museum Utrecht (Copper table clock with enamel dial, c. 1915) and the Stedelijk Museum (Municipal Museum) of Amsterdam (Copper table clock with enamelled dial and gilt figures, c. 1924). Clocks by Eisenloeffel and contemporaries also are represented in the Meentwijck collection.
Sources: H. Dommisse (red.): Klokken, Zilver, Sieraden 1900-1930 (The Hague/Schoonhoven 1976; 1985); T.G. te Duits: Kunstnijverheid en industriële vormgeving 1800-heden (Amsterdam 1996)
Illustrations:
1) Mantel clock Eisenloeffel (NGZKM)
2) Dial Eisenloeffel (NGZKM)
3) Mantel clock Th. Nieuwenhuis (Meentwijck)
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