Very Large Regency Period In Boulle Five-color Cartel By Cogniet, Paris

Rare, very large cartel clock in five-color Boulle marquetry.

This very large cartel clock and its console are finely crafted in brasson a brown tortoiseshell background and enhanced with mother-of-pearl, pewter, green horn, and red horn, giving it a"five-color" design.

Rare for its variety of colors and its particularly large size, this clock is also magnificently adorned with gilded bronzes.

The marquetry, on the other hand, depicts floral scrolls alternating between different colors of brown tortoiseshell, red and green horn, finely chiseled gray pewter, and white mother-of-pearl, eac representing flowers.

The console is framed by a finely chiseled ingot mold of acanthus leaves and scrolls. Each of the edges is marked with gilded bronze falls, depicting mocking putti heads framed by large acanthus leaves and accented with foliage and scrolls. The base of the lamp base is surrounded by a representation of acanthus leaves and scrolls on theedges and a central satyr head highlighted by a shell and a queen decoration and finished with a grouping of small flowers in inverted pine cones, nicely chiseled.

The clock itself is richly carved, with a central depiction of the abduction of Deianira, wife of Heracles, by the centaur Nessus. It is accented with a large shell and beautiful acanthus leaves.

This mythological representation underscores the importance of this clockfor the period.

Mythological subjects were frequently used in the 18th century. They primarily symbolize challenges and achievements.

On either side, aligned with the curves of the feet, scrolled espagnolette brackets gracefully support the clock. This characterizes it as the work of Charles Cressent, a famous cabinetmaker renowned for this very specific bronze models.

The rocaille ornamentation surrounding the central window beautifully highlights the blue and white enameled dial, surrounded by finelychiseled gilt bronze motifs in the center. Signed J Cogniet in Paris, this dial features Roman numeral hours in cartouches. The minutes are delicately engraved with Arabic numerals. The wire movement is also signed "Jacques Cogniet Paris."  The balance features aradiant Apollo.

An elegant gilt finish also adorns the cartel and its pediment. The four edges feature crowing roosters highlighted with scrolls, foliage, andq ueen-like decorations. The pediment features a seated Athena at its summit, holding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.

The matching marquetry back door features geometric motifs, symmetrical scrolls, and floral foliage. Four butterflies from André Charles Boulle's figurative lexic on frame the central section.

The interior features a sloping lower edge depicting a concave checker board centered on a large acanthus leaf in a half-rosette.

This cartel clock stands out for its size, the grace of its colors, and the abundance of its gilt bronze ornamentation, which primarily emphasizes floral, natural, and mythological motifs.

Regency period work attributed to Cressent

Charles Cressent (1685-1768) was a master sculptor in 1714 and an ornamental sculptor specializing in artistic bronze in 1719. He then became cabinetmaker to the Regent, the Duke of Orléans, and thus became oneof the most renowned cabinetmakers of his time, crafting furniture with rocaille bronze ornamentation highly prized by the upper class.

Restored for use and maintenance, 5 colors, Signed Cogniet in Paris