sentence mean

[shinem]

He led me into a large, comfortable, old-fashioned
sitting room, furnished with leather institutional
furniture older than the combined ages of the three men
and a woman sitting there.Well, almost. An ancient fern
gasped for air by the windows. A mantelpiece clock
recorded the presentation of itself to the college but not
the time.

What does the last sentence mean about the clock? What does recording the prenstation of itself?

Thanks.

[English Freak]

Everyone knows a clock is used to show the time. But this particular clock was probably too old, so it could be used as a good criterion / reason to make sure the clock and/or the building was too old.
A mantelpiece clock recorded the presentation of itself means "the clock itself was enough to show the oldness".

[Rover_KE]

Please note that a more eye-catching thread title would have been A mantelpiece clock.

The clock had been presented as a gift to the college. This fact was stated on an inscription attached to it.

So the clock bore a record of its own presentation to the college.

It did not record the time. In other words, it wasn't in working order.

Hope that's clear. The original expressed all that far more succinctly than my explanation.

Rover

[shinem]

Thank you :D