Tick tock, the old Mora clock ticks away the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries.
She was made a long time ago, round 1850,
tick tock, in the Swedish province of Dalarna. Bad weather and poor soil forced the farmers in the Mora (town) area to look for other ways to supplement their income. The villagers of this area turned around 1750,
tick tock, to traditional home crafts, building of wall clocks and tall case clocks. Each family specialized in a certain part: some made the brass clockworks, some painted the faces, while others built or painted the tall case clocks. Just like an assembly line, the workers became very skilled and did excellent work.
Tick tock
At the height of production more than 90 families were engaged in the trade, and Mora functioned as one large clock factory. More than 1000 clocks, named for their place of origin, were produced each year and were sold throughout Scandinavia. Within 80 years,
tick tock, competition from Europe and America brought an end to this communal enterprise, but the curvilinear shape of the classic Mora clock is still sought after today.
Tick tock
In 1993,
tick tock, I went to Denmark for the first time where I encountered my very first Mora clock and fell head over heels in love with her. This type (pic above) of Mora clock is referred to as she/her as her shape is very reminiscent of the female form. There are also male Mora clocks that look like the well known grandfather clocks. I searched high and low for a Mora clock of my own but unfortunately in my country no Mora clock was to be had for love nor money.
Tick tock
Then, earlier this year,
tick tock, I discovered on the Internet that a Dutch couple, Sune and Pien, had recently immigrated to Sweden and started up a business of selling antique Swedish furniture via their
website. And guess what I found? That's right, my long awaited Mora clock. She was made, amongst others, by A Linder from Sil in Sweden, around 1850.
Tick tock Her white coat she got fairly recently, her original garb a deep blue.
Long ago,
tick tock, this Mora clock must have graced the hall of a Swedish farm or two. Once upon a time,
tick tock, they were considered status symbols. And now,
tick tock, from the Swedish province of Dalarna, she has been transported to the Dutch province of North Brabant, where she proudly stands in the hallway of a 1960's bungalow.
Tick tock
When I can't sleep I listen to my Mora tick tocking the seconds away, this steady metronome of life sounds very reassuring somehow. Her chimes sound as a silver bell, marking each passing, fleeting hour.
Tick tockThe New Year,
tick tock, is almost upon us and many of us are full of New Year's resolutions. But gentle reader are you sure you want to go that route, are New Year's resolutions really worth the breath they are spoken with?
Wouldn't you be better of with the heartfelt wish from yours truly:
may you be able to make every second of your life count in the New Year. Do not ask for whom the Mora clock ticks, it ticks for thee.
Tick tock
Happy
tick New Year
tock!
copyright 2009 Y.E.W. Heuzen
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