Rococo Style Gilt Bronze Cartel Clock and Barometer

Designed in the French Rococo style, this clock and barometer set have been beautifully ornamented with scrolling foliate gilt bronze forms. The two are diamond shaped, with symmetri...

Louis XV Rococo style clock and barometer set by Gravelin French, Late 19th Century Clock & Barometer: height 77cm, width 32cm, depth 15cm Designed in the Louis XV Rococo style, this very fine clock and barometer set dates to c.1870 and was made by Parisian makers Paul Gravelin & Louis Marti et Cie in the time of the French Belle Époque. The matching cases are cast with scrolling foliate decoration, with intricate, elegant swirling flowers and ribbons, in rocaille form. The dial of the clock is painted with both Arabic and Roman numerals and signed to the centre 'Paul Gravelin,' above the dial, and below: 'Paris, 8 Rue Charlot,' while the square-plate eight-day movement is by Marti, an stamped 'Louis Marti et Cie, Bronze Medaille.' The gilding is of exceptional quality, and demonstrates the prowess of late nineteenth century Parisian craftsmen, who looked to earlier French regal periods for stylistic inspiration yet updated styles, particularly the Rococo, with their own individual flair, as is evident from these fine antique timepieces.

A stunning and large original antique French gilded bronze clock. It is of the most beautiful Rococo style, waisted case decorated with 'C' scrolls, acanthus leaves and floral swags....

A very fine gilt-bronze wall clock and matching barometer with Sèvres Plaques. The dial of the clock signed ‘JULIEN LEROY A PARIS’, the barometer dial signed ‘PASSEMANT AU LOUVRE’. The eight day strike Wall Clock and its matching Barometer, both have a terminal in the form of a pineapple drop with acanthus leaf scroll detail. Above this is a Sèvres panel of a cherub in a garden, rising to a white enamelled dial with Arabic and Roman numerals flanked by cascading relief moulded fruit from a further Sèvres panel of a cherub in flight below a ribbon tied pediment. This companion clock and barometer are fine nineteenth century examples of a pair originally supplied to Madame du Barry in 1769 by the marchand mercier Simon-Philippe Poirier. They were then described as ‘Un Baromètre & Thermomètre, de Passement, montés très richement en bronze dorés d’or moulu et ornés de trois plaques de porcelaine de france à Enfants en miniature cy 10561I.’ It is interesting to note that the original design was made to allow either of three porcelain plaques, depicting putti with astrolabes. Eighteenth century models are now in the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. French, Circa 1880. Literature: De Bellaigue, G. The James A. de Rothschild Collection...