Continental 'blinking eye' soldier clock by Bradley & Hubbard

The painted cast-iron mantel clock takes the form of a male soldier standing legs astride on a shaped rectangular base. The soldier holds a circular dial on his large tummy, which features black Roman Numerals. The dial is displayed behind a glass lens, within a plain circular bezel. The soldier is dressed in black buckled shoes and socks, red breeches, a white shirt and black frock coat. His black hair is curled, and he wears a black tricorn hat. The soldier’s chubby face smiles slightly, and his eyes blink.

‘Bradley & Hubbard/ Patented July 14 1857’ is signed onto the base. Bradley & Hubbard was a prestigious company, which was founded in Meriden, Connecticut in 1852. The firm’s designs are on display in many important museums and collections in America, such as the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven.