Very Large and Exceptional Carved Walnut Wall Clock with Imaginary Monsters

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Very Large and Exceptional Carved Walnut Wall Clock with Imaginary Monsters

About the Item

Exceptional carved walnut wall clock by Charles-François Rossigneux, Paris, circa 1870. The clock dial in waxed and polished walnut, with Gothic-style Roman hour chapters painted in white, chased gilt-brass hands; the case, in the form of a heraldic crest resting on a small gadrooned base finished with an acanthus leaf motif; the whole entirely decorated with Neo-Renaissance motifs loosely inspired from Antiquity, flanked on either side by two inverted winged-dragons with reptile-like tails coiled around a chimera mascaron placed in the centre; above, branches of laurel leaves and a Horn-shaped vase filled with a pomegranate bouquet surmount the clock. Self-starting movement with horizontal balance wheel, autonomy eight days. Impressive in scale, this clock case is a real tour de force of wood carving, superimposing a proliferation of ornaments that blends naturalistic plant forms with an imaginary universe composed of hybrid creatures and a grotesque mascaron. Graceful yet spirited, with outlandish and powerful accents, its design recalls the decorative vocabulary of the architect and designer Charles-François Rossigneux. This becomes evident when comparing its lines and motifs to a certain number of his original drawings housed at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, in which we see the same motifs: some imaginary, like the open-mouthed dragons, terrifying chimera mascarons and the form of the central crest with emerging serpent-tails; some taken from plant forms, like the clusters of fruit sprays; others inspired from ornamental book illustrations, with compartments and arabesques, for which Rossigneux was well-known. It is precisely in Rossigneux’s hand-drawn illustrations, depicting vignettes, foliage scrolls, tailpieces and ornamental lettering destined for fine-edition publications, that we discovered the source of inspiration for the present clock, notably in the magnificent folio of the Gospels (Les Saints Evangiles) published by Hachette in 1873 (fig.1-2-3): printed in two volumes, the set contains 128 large etchings after original drawings by Alexandre Bida, and 290 steel engravings featuring decorative titles, chapter heads, tailpieces and initials by L. Gaucherel after drawings by Ch. Rossigneux.

Creator:
Charles-François Rossigneux (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 57.88 in (147 cm)Width: 40.16 in (102 cm)Depth: 10.24 in (26 cm)
Style:
Baroque Revival (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Walnut,Carved
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1870-1879
Date of Manufacture:
1870
Condition:
The woodwork in brilliant condition, the clock recently overhauled and in perfect condition.
Seller Location:
Braine-le-Chateau, BE
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU212235405273