Cuckoo Clocks

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                                            FEATHERWOOD 

For more than three centruies, cuckoo-clocks have been seen in Germany and throughout the world.

These clocks are most often shaped like a birdhouse or Swiss chalet and feature the regular announcement of the time via a gong and chirping cuckoo.  Usually, the cuckoo chirps on the quarter hour and is accompanied by the clock chime at the half-hour and hour.

Most often these are wall-mounted clocks or mantle clocks, but have been known to be produced on a much larger scale.

Cuckoo clocks are like small versions of grandfather clocks and mostly known for their ornate carvings and intricate detail. Traditionally there is a trapped door at the top of the clock. This is where the cuckoo appears to make his calls, reminding everyone in earshot of the passing of time. Most often, the design is also reminiscent of nature, with decorative leaves, birds, pinecones and other forest accoutrements.

The most intricate of cuckoo clocks also feature movements from the cuckoo himself, either on the hour or at certain times of the day as set by the clock owner.

DEERWOOD CUCKOO CLOCK

The clock itself is usually mechanically operated, having to be wound each
day, by the pulling of its dangling cords. The cords are often decorated with pinecones. The cuckoo clock is also a pendulum clock, using the constant motion of the pendulum to keep time accurate. The swaying of the
pendulum accounts for the famous tick-tock of all clocks and these in particular.

For a short time, also very popular were clocks that were called cuckoo clocks, but strayed from the traditional bird and house theme.  In place of traditional cuckoo, clockmakers created whimsical scenes and musical chimes to designate the passage of time.

One of the most famous of these features German children emerging from opposite sides of the clock to kiss above the clock face

as the chimes ring out indicating the change of the hour. Though these clocks were styled after cuckoo clocks, calling them that is a misnomer as they are missing the
necessary cuckoo.

The best known cuckoo clocks in the world are manufactured, usually still through hand carving, in the Black Forest of Germany. Clocks began being produced there in the early to mid-18th century and are still produced there today.  The clock makers of the Black Forest still take a personal pride in their work and compete regularly to construct the largest, smallest and most ornate cuckoo clocks.

We would love to help you get one of these beautiful Cuckoo Clocks for your home or send one to a loved one as a special gift. Click Here to learn more.  

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