Fournier Louis XVI Mantel Clock, Gilt Bronze, Cupid Pend, Month-day-date France

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Fournier Louis XVI Mantel Clock, Gilt Bronze, Cupid Pend, Month-day-date France

About the Item

This was a very modern clock in its day From the Maison Fournier, Paris. Gone are the grand Rococo flourishes of Louis XV and in its place are Fine details such as the golden Winged Cupid, swinging on a golden rope, rocking forwards and backwards and serving as the pendulum , the fantastic snake , is slithering around the dial face and the clean "modern" lines that were especially favored by the Queen Marie-Antoinette and thus the entire court and by extension the growing haute bourgoisie class . It also features the month , day of the week , and date on the lower front of the clock on three small dials , all of which function nicely . These were very modern touches in 18th and early 19th century France. ( The face does not , nor did it ever have a glass face cover ) The entire clock is Gilt Bronze except the face dials. The clock was cleaned and restored in Paris in 2000 and again in December 2018 . It keeps excellent time , chimes on the hour and half hour. It must be wound once a week. It is important to note that this clock has the inner workings that were the norm in the 18th century which was vastly different than the clock workings employed starting in the mid 19th century . These later 19th century works systems are what we see on all the Mantel clocks that are in the latter day Louis XV style. The date of creation is in the final decades of the 18th century , which is what my french master clockmaker ( Horlogerie Chaligny who dealt exclusively with Antique French and European clocks ) attested to . For as many glorious and fabulous Rococo Louis XV mantel (fireplace) clocks in my collection ( which i collect and sell ) this clock stands out to me as special as it represents a New Era in French design , and i cannot recall seeing one quite like it . It took me years to convince the owner to sell it to us . One of the reasons we were determined to acquire it is its Provenance , which is unique. It belonged to my clockmaker's family just oustide Paris ( Horlogerie Chaligny ) for 4 generations from whom I was finally able to buy it during a french financial crisis ( after years of asking ) . It had / has special significance for me , being in the still luxurious , but quite simplified style of the doomed , dignified , misunderstood and final Queen of France , Marie-Antoinette , Reine de France. After Shipping : As with all antique clocks , even well packed ones , the clock may need to be professionally adjusted to keep the correct time after being shaken about during its journey . ( It's just a possibility , but we prefer to let you know ) . THANKS This Louis XVI clock by the house of Fournier is a rare glimpse into the end of the Bourbon Dynasty . Fournier Horlogerie was active during the reign of Louis XVI as well as long after his reign . This was a famed & renowned clockmaking company , who's legacy was furthered by Fournier's son and grandson and onwards , especially during Stanislaus Fournier's time when he left Paris to work on some major public clocks in New Orleans , where his accomplishments include the three-faced church clock installed at St. Louis Cathedral in 1851, the development of a four hand stopwatch for horse racing in 1855, and the invention of a “tell-tale” register clock in 1857. Fournier died in 1853 and is buried in New Orleans’ St. Louis Cemetery . .

Creator:
G.E. Fournier (Clockmaker)
Dimensions:
Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)Width: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)Depth: 5.25 in (13.34 cm)
Style:
Louis XVI (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Gilt
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1790-1799
Date of Manufacture:
1790-1820
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU4639214390082