Table Clock, Hannibal Barca. Gilt Bronze, Metal. France, 19th Century.

Table clock, Hannibal Barca. Gilt bronze, metal. France, 19th century.
Table clock with Parisian mechanism and mercury-gilt bronze case, with a rectangular base resting on four feet (the front ones are decorated with volutes and end with a claw), decorated with a series of relief moldings with plant and architectural elements. The dial (in metal with Roman numerals for the hours) is inside a square shape, in which the male figure that decorates the piece is seated. A bearded man, dressed in armor (loriga or muscular cuirass) and a cape fixed on one shoulder by a fibula, rests his left arm on the helmet, holding a rolled document, and holds a Roman standard in his left hand (another seems broken, under his foot). Note, to the right and next to a sword, a vase filled with rings. Hannibal Barca (247-183 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman, best known for his conflicts with the ancient Roman Empire. It was not uncommon for him to be depicted counting the rings of the Roman knights who had fallen at the Battle of Cannae (216 BC), as shown in the sculpture by Sébastien Slodtz (made in 1704, Musée du Louvre, Paris), where he also carries a Roman standard. He is also depicted with these two elements (ring vase and standard) on a table clock in the Musée de Cagny, Paris, made during the French Restoration. Another piece is known, in a private collection, inspired by this clock, designed after models by Peirra-Francois Feuchère. These two models would certainly have served as inspiration for the present table clock.
Weight: 25 kg. - Dimensions: 53.5x20x76 cms