Pendule antiquisante - richement ornée - fin de l’époque Empire - révisée

Clock work guaranted 2 years

Antique clock, richly decorated, from the late Empire period
Black marble from Golzinne
Cast, chased, openworked and gilded bronzes
Paris movement, striking wheel counting hours and half hours, wire suspension
Paris, circa 1810 - 1820
Dimensions: 45 x 25.5 x 11.5 cm.

The portico form
Portico clocks appeared during the reign of Louis XVI and quickly became very popular. At the end of the 1780's and during the Revolutionary period, this type of clock became a Parisian must-have. The form offers numerous possibilities for decoration, both structurally and in terms of ornamentation. Thus, the use of marble for the cabinets and gilded bronzes for the ornamentation created an infinite number of models, each more elegant than the next. Our clock is typical of the Empire productions with the use of deep black marble, commonly called "Belgian". This hard stone comes more precisely from the Golzinne quarries. The particularity of this site is to extract exclusively black rocks with tiny inclusions, offering a great purity...
Our model is also typical of the Empire productions by the sobriety of the columns all in delicacy.

The anticomania
The shape of our model, topped with a temple pediment, is typical of the fashion of the time. Very architectural, the rectangular terrace rests on toupie feet, four slender columns with a rectangular base support the pediment, the sides of which are pierced in full arch. The columns with Corinthian capitals, the decorations of medusa masks, sphinxes and rich palmettes surrounding the dial form the archetype of the neoclassical vocabulary in vogue during the Empire. These stylistic elements go hand in hand with the rediscovery of Greco-Roman sites such as Pompeii and Herculaneum in the 17th century, as well as the extensive studies of them. This cultural ferment, which monopolised the greatest minds such as those of Carmontelle, Wailly and Adam in architecture, had an impact on the decorative arts from the end of the 18th century. The collection of Percier and Fontaine, the Rambouillet dairy or the Egyptian Cabaret are perfect examples.


Condition report 
Movement in perfect working condition and revised (checking of the plays, pivots, oiling...), original gilding, slight wear. Very good condition. Ideal to decorate any neoclassical or Empire period interior.