The different styles of swedish mora clocks

As you know Mora clocks are Swedish longcase or grandfather clocks that originated in the the Mora region of Sweden during the late 1800s.

When you think about a Mora clock - what comes to mind?

The elegant curves and hand-painted detailing. The whites , greys and muted colour tones. The classic curvaceous waist and clean white clock face.

But did you know there were lots of regional variations of the Mora clock format?

This is due to both regional cultural differences across Sweden and also because each Mora clock build was a unique project so the whims and style of the maker were on full display.

So what kinds of Mora clocks are there?

1. Classic Mora Clocks

   
   

   • The most obvious style of mora clock has the classic hourglass or "waisted" shape with a narrow middle and a round or oval shaped hood to house the clock face.

   • They are usually painted in soft pale blues, gray, or white with the higher end clocks featuring hand painted floral or folk-art decorations or tromp l'oeil designs.

     
     

2. Gustavian Mora Clocks

   
   

   These mora clocks would have been Inspired by the original Swedish Gustavian style of the 1780-1820 period and these clocks often have a more refined stylist bent with the incorporation of neoclassical elements, including carved details and column shaped body designs.

   
   

3. Rococo Mora Clocks

   
   

4. At the higher end of the Mora clock spectrum the early Rococo influenced mora clocks were much more elaborate with highly stylised ornate carvings and finishes with hood flourishes and swags or gilded elements.

   
   

5. Country/Folk Mora Clocks

   
   

   Often given as wedding gifts to poorer families to start their married life, country style mora clocks are fare more simple in design as they would have been much less expensive to make with rustic features and very often Kurbits folk art handpainted designs or Jamtland polychromatic finishes. The prevalent colours were earth tones in russets and yellows, reds and browns.

   
   

6. Empire/Biedermeier Mora Clocks

   
   

   This style of mora clock bears the influence of the Karl Johan dynasty from 1820-1870 where teh finishes were french polished and there was extensive use of ormolu styling creating very grand imposing mora clocks in the Napoleonic style.

   
   

7. Bridal Mora Clocks

   
   

   The bridal or Angermanlandsbrud mora clock featured an incredible amount of detailed carving with the hood featuring a classic folk art style headdress and vibrant choice of colours - these mora clock are very rare and highly prized by collectors.

As one of the worlds leading specialists in mora clocks, we would be delighted to help you find the right mora clock for you from our extensive ora clock stock of over 40 antique swedish mora clocks - email us today to start your journey to find your prefect mora clock.