In America, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, placing a clock on the mantle of a fireplace was fashionable and sometimes perceived as a status symbol. Black Greek temple style and parlor clocks are mantle clocks. The term mantle took an unjustified extension becoming a passe-partout term for any Furniture clocks, also called table clocks. I suggest that Mantle should be reserved for those period clocks when it was popular to put a clock on the chimney mantle. The Black mantels are a good example, such as this Gilbert from the early 20th century with an Adamantine™ finish with gold spelter decorations.
