French Provincial Mantel Clock
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Brass
Antique 1880s French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Marble
Late 20th Century Chinese French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Slate, Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Mantel Clocks
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Antique Early 19th Century French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Wood
Antique 1860s French Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Mantel Clocks
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial More Clocks
Marble, Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Provincial Garniture
Marble, Bronze
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Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
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Antique 19th Century French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Ormolu
Antique 1850s French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century French Provincial Wall Clocks
Hardwood, Paint
Antique Early 1900s French French Provincial Tea Sets
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Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
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Antique 1880s French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Ceramic, Majolica
Antique Early 19th Century French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
20th Century American French Provincial Mantel Clocks
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Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze, Enamel
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Marble, Spelter
Antique 1880s European French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
Antique 1870s French French Provincial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks
Onyx, Enamel
Antique 1890s French French Provincial Mantel Clocks
Belgian Black Marble, Brass
French Provincial Mantel Clock For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a French Provincial Mantel Clock?
A Close Look at french-provincial Furniture
Removed from the fashions of the court, French Provincial style developed in the provinces of the country, such as Provence, Normandy, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. Dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, French Provincial furniture was not as ostentatious as the designs being produced for the royal palaces, but elegant S-shape cabriole legs and ornate carvings elevated the sturdy chairs, sofas, tables and bedroom furniture intended for everyday use.
Although it varies by region, antique French Provincial furniture is unified by solid construction and an artisanal attention to design. While this furniture often followed the metropolitan trends — including the Rococo or neoclassical aesthetics of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI — since it was produced in the French countryside it was more subdued with nods to its rustic settings.
Local materials like fruitwoods, oak, beech and walnut were used to construct large French Provincial armoires for storage and comfortable armchairs with rush-woven seats. Wrought-iron elements and carvings like floral details and scallop patterns were common as ornamentation. Furniture was frequently painted white or other muted colors that coordinated with gilt and would acquire a patina of age over time. Other wood was just stained with vibrant fabric such as toile de Jouy, which sometimes depicted pastoral scenes, adding color as upholstery.
The style arrived in the United States after World War I, with soldiers returning home wanting furniture like what they had seen in the rural homes and castles of France. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, designer John Widdicomb split from his family business, the Widdicomb Furniture Company, and had been focusing on Louis XV– and French Provincial–style furnishings since the early 1900s. Other American manufacturers such as Baker, Drexel, Henredon and Thomasville also responded to demand. Today antique French Provincial pieces and reproductions continue to be popular.
Find a collection of antique French Provincial dining tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right mantel-clocks for You
Personal time-telling devices may have migrated from our pockets to our wrists and finally onto our phones, but despite the convenience of a handheld digital timekeeper, nothing can beat well-made vintage, new and antique mantel clocks.
Invented by clockmakers in France and popularized in the 18th and 19th centuries, these practical yet ornate pieces were typically displayed on top of fireplaces or desks. While the most common mantel clocks were created in the traditional tambour style, which features a wide base that flares into an upright drum- or camelback-shaped case, modern clockmakers and furniture designers have experimented with their own ideas for these decorative objects over the years, introducing different forms and working with unconventional materials. A collection of whimsical, monochromatic handmade mantel clocks crafted by Dutch designer Kiki van Eijk, called Floating Frames, for example, features minimalist frames of anodized wire and ceramic clockfaces.
When shopping for an antique, vintage or new mantel clock, don’t be afraid to branch out. Wood mantel clocks of any era will bring a classic, elegant allure to the shelving in your living room or the bookcase in your bedroom, while Empire-style mantel clocks will comparatively boast eye-catching gilt bronze and pronounced sculptural attributes. Some Art Deco mantel clocks will feature an integration of marble or glass and will likely be marked by the decorative embellishments associated with that particular furniture style.
There’s just something about cool clocks, right? Spend your time with an extraordinary collection of mantel clocks on 1stDibs today.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022How you adjust a French mantel clock depends on its design. In many antique clocks, there is a winding slot that says R for Retard on one side and A for Advance on the other. If you wish to make the clock faster, you turn the key toward the R. To slow down the clock, turn the key in the opposite direction toward the A. Find a large collection of French mantel clocks on 1stDibs.