Lovely Ormolu Clock "à la balançoire", France, Circa 1820

Dial signed H. Houdebine, Fabricant de Bronzes, Rue de Turenne 64, Paris and clockwork signed Japy Frères & Cie – Médaille d’Honneur A very fine neo-Greek style clock set made up of...

Dial signed Polti Frères Measures: With base or glass: Height 61 cm (24 in.), width 51,5 cm (20.3 in.), depth 23.5 cm (9,2 in.) Without base: Height 52 cm (20,5 in.), width 42 cm (16.5 in.), depth 12.5 cm (4.9 in.) Important philhellenic clock in burnished and amati gilded bronze, finely chiseled, representing on the terrace a couple elegantly dressed in "the turkish style", and richly decorated with foliage, scrolls and flowers. The feet, decorated with water leaves, rest on an oval wooden base covered with a globe. The theme of the clock comes from The Giaour, a fragment of a Turkish Tale, an English poem by Lord Byron published in may 1813 which tells the thwarted love of a Venetian, the Giaour – term by which the Turks designate infidels and especially Christians – and of Leila, a slave belonging to Hassan’s seraglio, military leader of a Turkish province. The betrayal of Leila discovered, she will be thrown into the sea and her lover will avenge her by killing Hassan, then taking refuge in a monastery. Symbol of prestige and modernity, the decorative clocks are a reflection of the taste of the era of a wealthy bourgeoisie and may be the subject of diplomatic gifts or between individuals. Beyond the purely decorative aspect of such objects, watchmaking in the 19th century is part of a subtle mix of political, historical and literary references. This philhellenic movement converning the West finds a particular echo in France, one of the countries with the United Kingdom and Russia having suported the Greeks during their war of independance (1821-1830) to free oneself from the grip of the Ottoman Empire. Many clocks...

Charming polychrome porcelain, green lacquered metal sheet and chiseled gilt bronze Louis XV style clock attributed to Samson & Cie. A gilt bronze bush, decorated with small porcelain flowers and metal sheet foliage, supports the circular face, with Arabic numbers for hours. Rests on a gilt bronze foliage base decorated with a porcelain family scene composed of two parents playing and embracing their child. This type of clock first appears during the reign of Louis XV. The importation of exotic goods and the opening of the Turkish Embassy, in Paris in 1721, considerably influenced Louis XV style, with the apparition of exotics characters, scenes and animals ornamenting...

Marked on the dial Furet & Bon, Hrs du Roy, à Paris Measures: Clock – Height 98 cm (38 1/2 in.), width 70 cm (27 1/2 in.), depth 25 cm (9 3/4 in.) Candelabra – Height 116 cm (45 ...

Rare Japanese clock in double patina bronze with suspended dial. The portico and dial, with calligraphic Kanji numerals complemented by hands featuring an undulating dragon, are deco...

A black and red marble clock in the shape of an Egyptian temple attributed to G. Servant, flanked by double columns inscribed with hieroglyphs and ornated with a winged uraeus, all made in two patina bronze. The clock is surmounted by a patinated bronze sphinx. Resting on four bronze faces wearing the nemes and terminating in lion paw feet. Georges Emile Henri Servant (circa 1828-1890) who took over his father in 1855 at their foundry, rue Vieille-du-Temple, in Paris, specialized in the production of neo-Egyptian style clocks, very popular in France since 1860s, and also the making of Greek style decorative objects. He drew considerable attention to the high quality of his bronzes at the 1855 Paris Universal Exhibition and then at the 1862 London Exhibition. At this time Servant exported up to 40% of his production, principally to the United States, where for instance, his sphinx clocks were sold with great success by Louis Tiffany Inc. or Hamann & Roche of New York (A similar clock is now exposed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). But his success came really at the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition, where he was awarded a gold medal for his neo-Greek and Egyptian works (Les Merveilles...

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...

Empire ormolu mantel clock, Belgium, circa 1810, Signed "J.B. Romaet a Gand". Decorated with a shepherd scene. Strikes the hour and half hour on a bell. With enamel clock face and si...

A French Charles X period ormolu mantel clock. The drum case flanked by a young couple standing under a palm tree with flowers all around, while the lady touched the man's hand. The...

Case: The well-cast and finished ormolu case depicts a large male figure, Orpheus, standing on rockwork while leaning on the clock and playing the flute. He is surrounded by severa...

A very impressive and stylish early 19th Century gilded ormolu and green marble mantle clock, having two classical maidens either side feeding Rams, an Eagle above the circular white...

A French brass Capucine Officers clock with alarm, circa 1820. The case of typical form, with doors to the sides and rear, urn finials to the top corners and flanking a polished s...