Gilt Bronze Clock, Restoration Period, Minerva Athena, 19th Century

Restoration period clock in gilded bronze depicting Athena Parthenos in glory. A lit lamp symbolizing wisdom is perched on a terminal, decorated with the Parthenon in bas-relief. The base is adorned with two profiles of goddesses: on the left Athena with the olive branch and on the right Ceres with the cornucopia. A trophy dedicated to the glory of the arts connects the two profiles. Erased signature decipherable in raking light of Louis Mallet, clockmaker to Monsieur the Duke of Orléans. Missing attributes, movement in good condition but missing the balance. The balance fork swings freely. Later installation of an annular dial over the original dial, probably due to the erasure of the painted numerals.