Mantel Clock , Love Disarmed " l'Amour Désarmé" Gilded Bronze Circa 1805 Empire Period

Exceptional clock with a mythological theme, ‘Love Disarmed’ or Venus Disarming Cupid, in matt and polished bronze and green marble. The subject of the clock revolves around Venus, goddess of love, beauty and fertility, and features:
- Venus seated on a large antique armchair, seizing Cupid's bow with her left hand while her right hand holds Cupid's arm, which is holding his arrow in his left hand.
- to the left of the movement: an appliqué representation of Venus naked with a dolphin, recalling Venus being carried by a dolphin at her birth from the foam of the waves,
- to the right of the movement: representation of Venus half-naked, recalling her status as goddess of beauty,
- to the left of the armchair, a ewer and a jewellery box evoke Venus' toiletries. The rounded sides are decorated with gilded bronze appliqués in keeping with the subject of the clock, namely a quiver and a torch. (attributes of love)

Acacia branches and roses (attributes of Venus) follow the curve of the movement.

The protruding sea green marble base is highlighted by a wide frieze of palmettes and flower spikes marking the corners of the marble.
The clock rests on six spinning top-shaped feet in chiselled and gilded bronze.
The movement has an 8-day running time, strikes the hours and half-hours, the dial is in white enamel (minor enamel loss), the hands are made of gilded bronze, and the suspension is wire.

The bronzes are finely chiselled and gilded with mercury, alternating between matt and shiny gilding burnished with agate. Given the quality of the casting, chiselling and gilding, the piece is undoubtedly the work of one of the greatest Parisian bronze casters.

The clock is in very good condition and features high-quality chiselling and period mercury gilding. It is complete with pendulum, gong and two keys. It is in perfect working order. Height: 48 cm Width: 36.5 cm Depth: 13 cm Weight: 17.4 kg

Reference: model reproduced in ‘Encyclopédie de la pendule française’ by Pierre Kjellberg, page 392 Shipping: secure packaging provided by us, shipping by DHL or UPS.