In the long history of clock making and time keeping, cuckoo clocks play a large role in the appreciation of art in clocks. The traditional style of the cuckoo clock is a wooden case decorated with carved leaves and animals and an automation of a bird that appears through a small door while the clock is striking. A cuckoo clock is typically pendulum driven, striking the hour and half hour, using bellows and pipes that imitate the cuckoo call. Today's cuckoo clocks are almost always driven by weights. The weights are made of cast iron in a pine cone shape. Most cuckoo clocks today are made in the "traditional style" to hang on a wall in your home or office. .
The call of the cuckoo bird in a clock was being heard in parts of East Germany and a region of the Czech Republic as early as 1650. It took nearly a century for the cuckoo clock to find its way to the Black Forest. The cuckoo clock, as we know it, comes from the region in southwest Germany, the Black Forest, where a tradition of clock making started late in the 17th century. In Germany, there are several different firms making the whole cuckoo clock or parts of it. The cuckoo clock is a favorite souvenir of travelers. The people who make cuckoo clocks are dedicated craftsmen whose products are works of art. Black Forest and Black Forest style-cuckoo clocks are highly sought after in antique stores, flea markets and retail shops. They can command expensive prices. Cuckoo clocks are valuable because of their unique artistry and elaborate hand carvings. The railway-house form of the basic cuckoo clock today,is carved of leaves, birds, deer heads and other animals. They have become the symbol of the Black Forest and are recognized anywhere in the world. In the present market there are also quartz battery powered cuckoo clocks that produce a digital cuckoo each hour.
Cuckoo clocks are sold for all budgets, from modest pieces with little decoration to colossal works of art which demand high prices. Whether as pendants, toys, games, postcards, in movies, music and literature, the cuckoo clock has been or is used in everyday life. The cuckcoo clock still is one of the most familiar clocks today and has become a part of our culture. Cuckoo clocks make great gifts, souvenirs and timepieces that will add charm and character to any home or office. Cuckoo clocks truly are unique artistic creations.
Reference: Wikipedia
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Occupation: Retired from Property Management
I was born in Missouri, married an Air Force member and moved from Missouri to Nebraska to Ohio and back to Missouri. In 1980, our family moved to Texas and we have been here since, with no plans to leave. I have four children, and four granddaughters, all 21 or over. I love spending time with them and the rest of my family. My husband passed away in 2002 and in 2005, I married a Texan. I retired from Property Management and enjoy reading, traveling, and the computer, when not with my family. This year my husband and I decided to try clock sales on a website. I love clocks and have had over 100 in our home at one time. I love hearing them chime, ring and sing. Now we are working on another site for bird houses and feeders. We found that watching and feeding the birds from our living room window, the colors, songs and habits of the birds are very interesting and beautiful.