Swedish Mora Clocks

Mora Clocks

We have one of the largest stock of antique Mora clocks for sale in the UK which we ship globally.

We specialise in Mora clocks from Sweden and if you are looking for something special then please let us know and we shall look for you.

All of the Mora clocks from Sweden are original (except for the reproduction clock which we custom paint in the UK).

We find these clocks in estate sales across Sweden and are often offered Mora clocks by other dealers as we are well known in Sweden through our furniture and lighting brand: 'Gustavian' (www.gustavian.com).

We have the same Mora clocks on the Gustavian website (and at the same price) as this one but this is our new website for Mora clocks and it allows us to provide more functionality (more photos, better order tracking etc).

We have been selling Mora Clocks for the last 10 years though we've been making furniture in Sweden for even longer.

London and High Point, NC

We warehouse the Mora clocks in North London and have exhibited the clocks at retail and trade shows in the UK and the US (High Point Market in North Carolina). We don't currently warehouse in the US (it's just our furniture display in NC) so we ship the Mora Clocks directly from the UK and we have 10 years of experience and we constantly try to get better. Please see our Delivery Cost page for more information on the care we take when shipping Mora clocks.

Mora information on Mora Clocks
Our Mora Clocks date from the 1700's to 1800's and you can view these Mora Clocks in London. We ship internationally.

We have shipped to the US, Russia, France, Germany, Holland and the Far East.

Mora Clocks are becoming increasingly rare with good examples of interesting shapes with attractive painting especially hard to find.

Our stock of Mora Clocks generally vary in height from 180cm to 240cm and are dramatically different in their shape.

Our Swedish Mora Clocks range in price from £600 to £3,000. We focus on the finer examples of Mora Clocks where the mechanism can be restored (or if not then replaced with a modern mechanism). Our web site list our current stock of Mora Clocks as well as examples of Mora Clocks sold in the past: www.moraclock.com.

History of Mora Clocks

Mora clocks originated from the 1700’s to 1800’s from the Darlarna province of Sweden. The village of Mora in this region became associated with the production of Mora clocks. The earliest Mora clocks were Rococo in style (ie curved with delicate carving features) and this style and shape was retained in the later Mora clocks of the 1800’s. This ‘female’ shape for the Mora clock is distinct from the ‘male’ Mora clock which is typically a straight Mora clock.

The Mora clocks made during this period were something of a cottage industry for the Dalarna province of Sweden. Typically a Mora clock was ordered by purchasing a Mora clock mechanism, which tended to be made by certain families, and then custom ordering the Mora clock case to be made by a local carpenter. The Mora clock was then painted to the owners own preference.

See our blog on the History of the Mora Clock

Styles of Mora Clocks

Due to the Mora clock cases being ordered and painted to the owners own needs then a huge variety of styles exist for Mora clocks. Our current stock of Mora clocks and pages of Mora clocks sold shows the huge variety of styles that exist.

The country style Mora clock were simpler in style and typically painted in only one or two colours. In contrast Mora clocks made for wealthier persons included ornate carvings and hand painted details. Examples of both of these styles of Mora clocks can be seen in our current for sale stock of Mora clocks.

Carved detailing on Mora Clocks

A variety of different carved detailing can be found on Mora Clocks. Some examples of different carvings are:

Paint colours of Mora Clocks

Mora Clock paint colours vary enormously depending on the taste of the original owner. Many of these original clocks were passed down to the next generation in the 1900's when they often were repainted. Our website at www.moraclock.com has examples of different coloured Mora Clocks.

Patterns on Mora Clocks

The patterns on Mora Clocks varied greatly. This included scenic painted patterns, chinoise style, heavily gilded patterns and those Mora Clocks with ornamentations.

Chinese paint style,

Scenic paint style and

Floral paint patterns can all be found on Mora clocks

Regional differences in Mora Clocks

Regional differences exist within Sweden as to the styles of Mora Clocks made. The style of Mora Clocks made in the North of Sweden though featuring the same basic shape differed quiet markedly from those Mora Clocks made in the South of Sweden.

Numbers of Mora Clocks made

It has been estimated that around 50,000 Mora clocks were made during the 19th century but that within 80 years of the first Mora clocks being made that the production of Mora clocks stopped. This was due to the importation of lower prices German and US clocks which effectively killed-off the cottage Mora Clock industry. A great number of Mora clocks have, given their age, fallen into disrepair which makes those Mora clocks that have survived something that is both unusually beautiful and of limited supply.

Mora Clock faces

Many Mora clock faces carry the initials of the clockmaker and below that the name of the village in which the Mora clock was made. One of the more prodigious Mora clockmakers of the time was Krang Anders Andersson (1727 – 1799) of Ostner who signed his Mora clock face with ‘AAS Mora’.

Mora Clocks incorporated into furniture

Some Mora clocks have been 'built-in' to various pieces of furniture. Typically this would be a functional piece such as a writing desk which would 'house' the top half of a Mora Clock inside the furniture. Other pieces of furniture which have incorporated Mora Clocks are armoires and cupboards.

Mora Clock mechanism

Mora clocks have an 8 day movement (they need to be rewound every 8 days) and typically would either have two striking bells located above the mechanism or a spiral wire gong. The weights of the Mora clock are typically made of cast iron. Due to the age of the Mora clock and the difficulty of finding replacement parts for a non-standard mechanism then many Mora clocks have their old workings replaced by a more modern movement that makes it more reliable as a timepiece.

Please call us on 0207 060 2680 to ask about any of the Mora clock mechanisms featured for sale on our web site.

Mora Clock glass

Mora Clocks tend to have curved rounded glass for the face and the body of the Mora clock may have a rounded piece through which the pendulum swing can be seen. Due to the scarcity of glass in Sweden at this time only a limited number of Mora Clocks would have an additional side window on the hood of the clock through which the mechanism of the Mora clock could be viewed.

Choosing a Mora Clock

Please browse our selection of Mora clocks to see which style you like the most. Then check the height of the Mora clock to ensure it would be suitable for whichever place you intend to keep it. If the style of Mora clock you are looking for is not currently for sale then please drop us an email so we can let you know when we acquire some new Mora clocks. We can then email you details of these Mora clock so that you will be amongst the first to know. Visit our website at www.moraclock.com for further examples.

Shipment for Mora Clocks

We are able to pack and ship a Mora clock to any international location and we delivery across the UK. For international shipment we typically ship the Mora clock case in a protected carton and the Mora clock mechanism in a separate container. By using robust packing material we can economise on shipment costs by using a standard air freight carrier to ship the Mora clock. Please email us to request a shipment quote.

Further information on shipment of Mora Clocks

Viewing Mora Clocks

To see any of our current stock of Mora clocks please call us on 0207 060 2680. For customers local to the London area it may be possible for us to bring the Mora clock to your home for you to see in your home. A nominal charge is applied for this which is refunded should you then buy the Mora clock. Our website at www.moraclock.com details visiting hours.

View our full range of Swedish Mora Clocks

Previously sold Mora Clock by moraclock.com