19th Century French Empire Clock Garniture, Japy Frères et Cie Movement

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PRESENTING A STUNNING mid to late 19C French Japy Freres & Red/Magenta Sevres Porcelain Mantle Clock with Garniture Candlestick Ewers. The clock movement is by the famous Parisienne Clockmaker … ‘Japy Freres’ and the clock dial has the marks for “JAY” (short for Japy Freres) & “Paris” on the dial face. The clock mechanism and clock face/dial have matching serial numbers of “7225”. The movement also has the numbers: “5 – 2”. The clock face/dial also has the initials: “D.H.”. The gilt ormolu clock case is gilt spelter and is signed on the rear base, for having been made by “P.H. Mourey” of Paris, who worked with and for ‘Japy Freres’, towards the end of the 19th Century. The signature of ‘Mourey’ also bears the numbers “85” … probably for 1885, but could also be the serial number. Taking into account Mourey’s historical association with Japy, being late 19th Century, we are leaning heavily towards this being the date of manufacture i.e. 1885. The Clock has RARE red/magenta Sevres hand-painted porcelain paintings/additions, to include:- (i) a 2 handled and lidded urn on the crown with pointed flame finial, (ii) a pair of bulbous urns either side of the main body and clock face, (iii) the clock face and dial itself and (iv) a flat rectangular medallion on the front base. The crown urn and the base medallion both have similar themes, but different painted scenes, depicting French rural countryside scenes with cottages, rivers and bridges. The porcelain urns on the sides, likewise have hand-painted images of a young boy, in rustic period attire on the right and a young girl on the left. None of these paintings appear to be signed. The clock case has GLORIOUS detail to it, with scrolls, ribbons, vines, grapes and Corinthian columns. The clock sits on a custom made gilt wood and burgundy velvet plinth, that is original to the piece and was a common accent with ‘Japy Freres Clocks’, when originally retailed in their Paris shop. The rear of the clock is plain and the perspex/clear resin plate insert, is a new addition, but a nice addition, in that it allows one, to view the movement and pendulum works. The clock is an 8 day movement with a strike on the hour and half hour. The clock face has 2 winding holes … one for the pendulum movement and the other for the striking chime/ring. Unlike British clocks this clock does not have a long musical chime … it is a simple ‘single strike’ on the half hour. The red/magenta Sevres porcelain clock face/dial is in SUPERB condition. Roman numerals with gilt accents and a hand-painted circular wreath/bouquet of spring flowers on the center section. To complete the set, we have a matching pair of gilt ormolu spelter and hand-painted red/magenta Sevres porcelain Ewers … which can hold a single candle each. The porcelain urns on the central section, have hand-painted images of a young lady in rustic period attire … fishing on the riverbank on the right and a young man playing the flute in the countryside on the left. The front base medallions on each ewer have hand-painted wreaths/bouquets of spring flowers. The clock facing side of the porcelain urn on each Ewer, has a brass ormolu applique head, of the Greek god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre, namely, Dionysus. The plinths are signed on the rear top left corner, and we think they read: “R.P. Unfaut”. They also bear the numbers “61” and “69”, Again, possibly for 1861 and 1869, but here we think it is more likely they are serial numbers, as it is highly unlikely that a matching pair were made 8 years apart! Whilst we cannot find any information on ‘R.P. Unfaut’, we can only guess that he/she/they worked with, or for, ‘Japy Freres’, as these ewers are unmistakably, a ‘superb’ match for the clock! The style, subject matter, gold banding and edging, around the paintings, are virtually ‘identical’ to the same decorations on the clock’s porcelain paintings. The Ewer on the left (with the boy playing the flute) appears to have a faded signature on the gold border of the painting towards the base and we think it is the signature of ‘Alexandre Evariste Fragonard’ …. one of the best known artists attached to Sevres in the mid 19th Century … meaning, that these Ewers were probably made circa 1845-50. The quality and detail to these 2 paintings is classic Fragonard! We are of the opinion, therefore that these garnitures, were made circa 35/40 years before the clock, as Mourey was prevalent with Japy around 1880 – 1900. The clock paintings are of a very similar, rustic ‘Fragonard Style’ subject matter and although unsigned, could possibly have been painted by a Sevres artist, to replicate the Fragonard paintings...

Very good condition, repairs to dial, minor age and usage wear, gold finish well preserved, movement is running only with pendulum off and not striking at all as needs service.

A good quality French bronze and ormolu clock garniture, having bronze cherubs mounted either side of the clock and supporting the five branch candelabra. Retailer; Humbert.

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