Antique Cuckoo Clocks

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Finding an antique cuckoo clock that is still in working order can be
difficult, and in the right conditions, either priceless or a very nice
inheritance.

The first Black Forest cuckoo clocks, the best known cuckoo clocks in the world, were produced beginning in the 1730s as a collaborative effort of clock makers and wood carvers during the winter months.  Over the next two centuries, they became a symbol of status, if you had an authentic Black Forest cuckoo clock, and of family pride.

As Germans emigrated around the world, many took their cuckoo clocks with them and the clocks gained worldwide popularity. Now, because they were the pride of German craftsmanship, those that have survived are very valuable, even when compared to other 300-year-old woodwork.

The clocks are popular not only because of their quality and craftsmanship, but because they call to mind a simpler time, when the cuckoo clock may have been the only time source in the house, instead of a digital clock in every room and a cellular phone with the time in every pocket.

The call of the cuckoo is a family-friendly sound, less ominous than the grandfather clock, but comforting in the constant tick-tocking and regular timely announcements.  The cuckoo clock calls to mind those simpler times when listening to the clock could lull you to sleep in the evening.

In recent years, prestigious auction houses across the world have sold antique Black Forest cuckoo clocks for millions and families have been delighted to find that the clock stored in Grandma’s attic still works.

The clocks are highly valued because of their ability to keep time after centuries, because of the fine craftsmanship of watch-maker and also for their artist expression.  Most of the antique cuckoos were hand-carved and are works of art themselves. Each is unique because it was hand-crafted and some are quite whimsical, featuring children kissing, beer halls or nature themes.

Antique Black Forest cuckoos lurk in antique shops and attics across the world, with many people unaware of their value as history and art.  If these clocks have been stored properly, a simple cleaning will often return them to near their original condition.

 

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