Tramp art is a movement in wood carving that was prevalent in the United States from the 1880s to the 1940s. Using raw materials such as recycled wood, adhesive, nails, and paint, practitioners notched and layered wood to create rhythmic, three-dimensional surfaces on household objects such as this clock case. The vernacular traditions of chip carving and whittling were practiced by people of different classes and ages across the country and passed on through oral instruction, pamphlets, and the study of existing works.