Skip to main content
Video Loading
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 14

19th Century French Ormolu Mantel Clock, circa 1840

About the Item

19th Century French mantel clock France (Limoges) Ormolu around 1840 Dimensions: H x W x D: 37 x 22 x 10 cm Description: The bronze, cast in relief and then fire-gilded, stands on a black marble base supported by bell feet. It depicts a couple facing each other at a fruit tree. He is picking the ripe fruit at the top of the tree while she waits for him below. A little dog wagging its tail completes the endearing scene. The open French pendulum movement is mounted in the centre of the treetop. It strikes on the half and full hour and the pendulum is suspended from a thread, typical of timepieces. The dial is framed by a bezel decorated with foliage. Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic quarter hours appear on white enamel. The minute track is painted with the finest brushstrokes, as is the signature: Lesme á Limoges. A watchmaker by the name of Lesmas is listed in Tardy's Dictionnaire des Horlogers Francais on p. 411. His workshop is documented in the Rue Fournier in Limoges from 1835 to 1845. It can be assumed that the movement was made in this workshop. Condition: Clean and in perfect working order. The movement has been dismantled and thoroughly cleaned.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 14.57 in (37 cm)Width: 8.67 in (22 cm)Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
  • Style:
    Charles X (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1835-1845
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Clean and in perfect working order. The movement has been dismantled and thoroughly cleaned.
  • Seller Location:
    Greven, DE
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU5419239131842
More From This SellerView All
  • 19th Century Mantel Clock "Astronomy", France circa 1830
    Located in Greven, DE
    Antique mantel clock on the theme of astronomy France Bronze Charles X around 1830 Dimensions: H x W x D: 48 x 19 x 10 cm Description: Unusual and beautifully crafted bronze mante...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Charles X Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Early 19th Century Ormolu Mantel Clock, Atala freeing Chactas, Paris, circa 1810
    Located in Greven, DE
    Mantel Clock "Atala and Chactas" Paris Bronze (fire-gilt and patinated), enamel Empire around 1810 Dimensions: H x W x D: 40 x 32 x 11 cm Description: Very rare and extremely high quality French mantel clock, so-called Pendule Au Bon Sauvage. Depicted are scenes from the love story "Atala or the love of two savages in the desert" written by Francois René Vicomte de Chateaubriand in 1801. At the beginning of the 19th century, this was probably the most famous love story in Europe, but today it has been forgotten. The story, set in present-day Louisiana (USA), is roughly rewritten about the forbidden love between Chactas, a young Indian, and Atala, the beautiful daughter of a Spaniard. Chactas is captured in a battle between two Indian tribes, chained to a palm tree and is to be sacrificed. Atala wants to save his life and convert him to Christianity. She unties him from the palm tree at night and they flee together into the wilderness of North America. Their love for each other grows stronger and stronger and they have prospects for a future together. The story takes a tragic turn when Atala, who must remain a virgin due to a vow made by her mother, can no longer withstand the conflict of her feelings and commits suicide. The main group of characters thus shows Chacta's liberation through Atala. Atala is leaning against a pile of logs. The animal fur thrown over the logs and the weapons leaning against the stack on the right give the impression of a night camp. The bronze is of rarely beautiful quality, finely chiselled and makes the scene appear very lively. The contrast of fire-gilded and patinated bronze adds tension to the composition. In the base we see the Entombment as the end of the tragic love story. This bronze work is also very detailed, the interplay of bright and matt gilding makes the flat relief appear much deeper than it is. The depiction of the mantel clock presented here shows that the exotic was only known from stories and that the bronzier had his own ideas about the appearance of this distant world. The Indian, for example, has very European facial features and his skin was not black in reality, of course. The palm tree was also certainly not found in the North American wilderness. The heart of the clock is a French pendulum movement, integrated into the wooden pile, with an eight-day power reserve and a lock plate striking a bell on the half and full hour. The pendulum is suspended on a thread, typical of the period. The classically shaped hands, so-called Breguet hands, are also typical of the time. The enamelled dial has black Roman hour numerals, Arabic quarter hours and bears the signature: Le Roy hr. de Madame A PARIS. Interesting facts: The period from 1795 to about 1815 saw the creation of probably the most spectacular group of bronzes: The "Au bon Sauvage" pendulums - depictions of the "Noble Savage". Today's viewers react to these objects with both fascination and irritation. Enthusiastic on the one hand about the obvious quality of the detailed bronzes and the allure of the exotic, on the other hand distanced and cautious because of the possible discrimination that is suspected behind them. The ambivalence of this feeling motivates the search for the conditions of origin of these pendulums. Europeans found their new ideal of the natural man primarily in fictional and realistic travelogues about the Indians of North America...
    Category

    Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • 19th Century Table Clock with Calendar, Ebonized Wood, France, circa 1840-1860
    Located in Greven, DE
    Antique mantel clock with calendar in ebonised wood. France Wood, brass Mid 19th century Dimensions: H x W x D: 37 x 22 x 17 cm Description: French mantel clock from around 1840-1860. The case is made of ebonised wood with brass thread inlays. On the front we see behind glass the white dial with black roman numerals and gilded bezel. Also gold-plated are the beautiful original arrow-shaped hands. The hands of the two-part calendar are also in the same design. On the left is the day of the week and on the right the day of the month. On the back is a wooden flap that protects the movement from dust. If we open the flap, we see the high-quality French 14...
    Category

    Antique Mid-19th Century French Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

    Materials

    Wood

  • Early 19th Century Mantel Clock, Firegilt Bronze, Paris circa 1810
    Located in Greven, DE
    Very rare "Au Bon Sauvage" mantel clock France Fire-gilt and patinated bronze Empire around 1810 Dimensions: H x W x D: 34 x 41 x 13 cm Description: Extremely rare French bronze m...
    Category

    Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Bronze

  • 19th French Empire Mantel Clock, Pendule, Mercury, Gilded Bronze, circa 1815
    Located in Greven, DE
    19th century French pendule, mantel clock - Mercury the messenger of the gods France Bronze gilded Empire around 1815 Dimensions: H x W x D: 37 x 30 x 10 cm Description: French Empire...
    Category

    Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Empire Mantel Clock - La Bibliotheque, Ormolu, France, Paris, circa 1820
    By Le Roi
    Located in Greven, DE
    Mantel Clock - La Bibliotheque - In the study room Paris fire-gilt bronze, enamel Empire around 1820 Dimensions: H x W x D: 38 x 28 x 19 cm Description: Scenery mounted on an oval...
    Category

    Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Bronze

You May Also Like
  • French Ormolu Calendar Mantel Clock, 19th Century
    By Aubert & Klaftenberger
    Located in Brighton, Sussex
    A very good quality French, 19th century gilded ormolu mantel clock with a calendar dial. Having pink Sevres porcelain panels. Foliate and ribbon decoration, the clock being an eight...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • French Ormolu Marble Mantel Clock, 19th Century
    Located in Cypress, CA
    Spectacular and unique French Napoleon III ormolu mounted white marble mantel clock, 19th century. The clock is surmounted by a gilt bronze pineapple finial with ribbons over a porcelain clock face with Roman Numerals enclosed into an ormolu egg...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Marble, Bronze

  • 19th Century French Classical Ormolu Mantel Clock
    Located in Brighton, Sussex
    A very pleasing early 19th century French gilded ormolu mantel clock, have a classical maiden standing in front of a mirror, with a pedestal supporting a vase of flowers. The white e...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Romantic Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • 19th Century French Ormolu Mantel Hen House Clock
    Located in London, GB
    An early 19th century French ormolu mantel clock, having 8-day movement with enamel dial, mounted in “hen house” with urn and flower mounts to side, the oval...
    Category

    Antique Early 19th Century French Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • 19th Century French Ormolu Urn Shape Mantel Clock
    Located in Brighton, Sussex
    A very impressive 19th century French gilded ormolu Medusa influenced urn mantel clock. Having bearded masks to either side with serpents above foliate swags around the white enamel clock face, the movement being of eight day duration, chiming on the hour and half hour. Raised on a fluted pedestal and...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • French Mantel Clock 19th Century, France, circa 1860
    Located in Brighton, Sussex
    A very good quality French 19th Century gilded ormolu and bronze mantel clock having a mother and child above and to the side of the clock face. Mounted on a white marble base.
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Mantel Clocks

    Materials

    Bronze

Recently Viewed

View All