$68,500 / set
Garniture set
Located in Atlanta, GA
Very fine three piece garniture set, of gilt bronze and Rouge Griotte marble, the clock face signed Thiebaut Freres. The candelabra are 35 inches in heig...
Marble, Ormolu
Antique French Gilt Bronze and Rouge Marble Clock Set
Located in Tarzana, CA
Fine 19th century French gilt bronze mounted Rouge marble 3-piece figural clock set Clock: Height: 19.5" Width: 10.5" Candelabras: Height: 22.5" Width: 9"
Ormolu
19th Century French Gilt Bronze and Porcelain Clock in the Louis XVI Taste
Located in London, GB
A mantle clock in the Louis XVI taste by Raingo Freres, Paris Constructed in gilt bronze, and dressed with Bleu Celeste framed porcelain panels, decorated in polychromes, in the '...
Ormolu, Bronze
Late 19th Century Gilt Bronze Cartel Clock and Companion Barometer by Henry Vian
By Henry Vian
Located in Long Island City, NY
An Exceptional Late 19th Century Gilt Bronze Cartel Clock and Companion Barometer By Henry Vian after Jean-Charles Delafosse Henry Vian after Jean-Charles Delafosse The tops with a...
Bronze, Ormolu
$84,500 / set
Large Clock Garniture Signed Houdon
Located in Tarzana, CA
An exceptional large 19th century French figural clock set after a model by Jean Antoine Houdon. Mounted with a large bronze model of a cupid holding a gilt bow and arrow, upon a naturalistic base with flowers and doves, supported on a rouge marble and ormolu mounted circular base with inset clock. Each candelabra modeled with a sitting putti holding a branch with two lights in each hand, raised upon a circular ormolu mounted rouge marble base. Signed: Houdon, circa 1860 Dimesions: Clock Height 36? (91 cm) Width 15? (38 cm) Depth 20? (20 cm) Candelabra Height 26? (66 cm) Width 12? (30 cm) Depth 9? (22 cm) Jean-Antoine Houdon a French neoclassical portrait...
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Miniature French Empire Ormolu Mantel Clock of Soldier
Located in London, GB
Fine miniature French Empire clock in ormolu. Dating from the First French Empire period with original ormolu and with fine enamel dial and movement signed The clock stands upon fine and delicate toupee feet. The the base is an applied ormolu mount of crossed standards tied with ribbon and with laurel branches. To the left of the dial stands a soldier in greatcoat and bearskin chapeau with moustache epaulets and his arm in a sling and a decoration on his breast. He has his left hand raised and resting on a forget-me-not flower and laurel wreath in front of two crossed battle axes. The white enamel convex dial...
Ormolu
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century (Early) French Clock Marble & Ormolu
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
19th Century (Early) French Clock Marble & Ormolu Unique clock purchased in France. Gorgeous Marble. impeccable condition. See Detailed Pics.
Marble, Ormolu
Gilt Bronze and Malachite Louis XVI Clock
Located in London, GB
Gilt bronze and malachite Louis XVI clock French, late 18th century Measures: Height 69cm, width 36cm, depth 13.5cm This fine Louis XVI mantel clock is wrought from malachite and gilt bronze. The malachite veneer is a later, beneficial refinishing. The clock features a plinth-form malachite base supporting four malachite columns, each with a gilt bronze capital. The columns raise an ornately shaped top, which is inset with a circular white enamel dial and is surmounted by urn-form finials. Beneath the dial is suspended an ornately cast and finished gilt bronze drapery...
Malachite, Ormolu
Gilt Bronze and Blue Lapis Lazuli Clock with Bust of Molière
Located in London, GB
A gilt bronze and blue lapis lazuli clock with bust of Molière French, circa 1830 Measures: Height 61cm, width 27cm, depth 13cm This exquisite French mantel clock originates fr...
Lapis Lazuli, Bronze, Ormolu
Victorian Ormolu Clock and Barometer Desk Set, of Maritime or Naval Interest
Located in London, GB
Each in the form of a ship's wheel with 2.5 inch silvered dial, contained in cases, one with seven turned banded agate handles, the other with eight banded agate handles, each on ova...
Agate, Ormolu
Palatial & Rare Napoleon III French Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Clock, Detouche
By C. Detouche
Located in Long Island City, NY, NY
A Palatial and Extremely Rare Napoleon III French Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Regulateur de Parquet Clock by Louis-Constantin Detouche, Paris, Circa 1850 An exceptional testament to the grandeur and technical mastery of 19th-century French horology, this palatial and extraordinarily rare Napoleon III ormolu and patinated bronze Regulateur de Parquet clock stands as a crowning achievement of the renowned Parisian horologist Louis-Constantin Detouche. Created circa 1850, this monumental timepiece exemplifies the perfect synthesis of artistic opulence and mechanical precision, distinguishing itself as one of the most impressive works from Detouche’s illustrious oeuvre. At over six feet tall, this clock’s imposing scale and decorative grandeur make it an object of immense historical and aesthetic significance. The case, crafted from the finest French ormolu, features two majestic patinated bronze seated putti, serving as allegorical figures and underscoring the artistic sophistication characteristic of the Second Empire style. The white enamel dial, elegantly signed "C. Detouche/Paris," affirms its prestigious maker, while the movement, meticulously numbered 7064 and bearing the stamps "C. Detouche RUE St. MARTIN" and "C. DETOUCHE 158 R. St MARTIN 160," speaks to the highest standards of 19th-century horological craftsmanship. Further distinguishing this piece is the medaille d’argent stamp, a testament to the numerous accolades and awards bestowed upon Detouche for his innovations in timekeeping. A Masterpiece of Horological Artistry: Louis-Constantin Detouche was not merely a clockmaker; he was a visionary whose contributions to horology redefined precision and complexity. This particular regulator clock...
Bronze, Ormolu
Antique ormolu clocks and other decorative objects can be incorporated into a variety of spaces, and while demand for the material and/or technique was at its peak in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries — older French ormolu clocks are especially coveted today — ormolu is still widely loved by contemporary designers and collectors.
What is ormolu?
Ormolu is a brilliant form of decorative trickery. To the untrained eye, ormolu clocks, jewelry boxes and other ormolu furniture and decor look like they're made of solid gold. But those in the know recognize ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — as having been essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
“Most commonly, ormolu refers to a bronze object that has been covered with gold, typically 18 karat or 24 karat,” explains Jamie Sinai, director of the antiques specialist Mayfair Gallery, in London. “For that reason, ormolu is sometimes called gilt bronze or, in French, bronze doré. Strictly speaking, however, the term ormolu also denotes the technique of applying gold to a metal.”
“The word comes from the French or moulu, which translates as ‘ground or powdered gold’ — the form the gold takes before it is applied to a metal surface.”
From the court of King Louis XVI to that of Napoleon I, the French elite snapped up furniture mounted with ormolu, as well as sconces, candelabra and table lamps made from the material.
If you're looking to bring a touch of this 19th-century pizzazz to your desk, an antique ormolu desk clock is a decorative touch that blends ornament and functionality. The clamor for desk clocks arose as the Industrial Revolution transitioned labor from outdoors to indoors, and allowed for the mass production of clock parts in factories. Naturally, elaborate designs soon followed and clocks could be found made by artisans and luxury houses like Cartier. Indeed, an ormolu clock is an object to be admired in your home as much as it is a necessary functional element. (This is part of the reason clocks make such superb collectibles!)
Today, antiques collectors and interior designers seek out the finest in antique ormolu clocks and continue to prize ormolu for its extraordinary craftsmanship and history-infused glamour.
“This wondrous material was highly sought after in France as the ultimate luxury. It magically resembled solid gold and sparkled under candlelight,” says Sinai.
Find antique ormolu desk clocks, wall clocks, mantel clocks and other furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.