"cercle Tournant" Clock Louis XVI Style Carrara Marble And Bronze

High-quality French mantel clock designed in the Louis XVI neoclassical taste and attributable to the second half of the 19th century, in the historicist tradition that revisited late-18th-century models. The “cercle tournant” (rotating-dial) display is a sought-after complication and is comparatively uncommon on the market, particularly in clean, well-presented condition.

Time is shown without conventional hands: two concentric rotating rings (porcelain or enamel on a ceramic support) indicate the hours (Roman numerals) and minutes (upper graduation), while a fixed arrow-shaped index provides the reading. This typology is documented as a highly successful 18th-century model whose appeal continued into the 19th century.

The clock is mounted on a white marble base (Carrara marble, per your note), with softened edges and a bead-moulded perimeter. The mounts are finely chased and gilt bronze, with dense ornamental tooling across foliage, borders, and scrolling elements—typical of accomplished French decorative bronzes of the period.

The main body takes the form of a covered urn enriched with garlands and scrolling foliage, with ram’s-head side mounts (a key neoclassical motif) and an acanthus/laurel repertoire. A patinated bronze Cupid, fully sculpted in the round, is integrated into the visual narrative of the display: he holds the bow and directs the arrow index toward the rotating rings, creating a refined interplay between sculpture and mechanism.

Mechanical movement housed within the urn, with key winding and time-setting (traditional French mantel-clock practice). The overall conception is as much about decorative precision as about the ingenious, handless indication specific to “cercle tournant” clocks.

Excellent presentation, with bright gilding and clean marble surfaces. The patinated bronze figure shows an even patina, with minor age-related marks consistent with period objects.

Dimensions:
Height - 56 cm
Width - 35 cm
Depth - 18 cm