Clock "venus With The Tortoise" 1820

An important Restoration period clock, circa 1820, in a parallelepiped shape, crafted from marble with warm tones of ochre, honey, and delicate pink veining, lending it a noble and luminous presence. It rests on four small prismatic feet, ensuring both stability and visual balance.

The clock's architecture is punctuated by projecting cornices and fine gilt-bronze friezes, exquisitely chased, revealing remarkable craftsmanship. Stylized leaves, palmettes, scrolls, and symmetrical plant motifs compose a harmonious decoration that structures the whole and reinforces its architectural character.

At the center of the main face is a large silvered bronze dial, set within a richly ornamented bronze frame of scrolls. The engraved numerals reveal the underlying gilt bronze, creating an elegant contrast. The dial is protected by a domed glass.

The clock is surmounted by a patinated bronze sculpture of Venus crouching on a tortoise, an iconographic motif traditionally associated with the goddess. The tortoise, depicted on the ground, is partially covered by a draped garment with soft folds, ensuring a fluid transition between the animal and the female figure. The pose, imbued with intimacy and modesty—one arm raised towards her hair, the other drawn back towards her chest—clearly evokes classical and neoclassical models. The dark patina emphasizes the volumes, while the naturalistic treatment of the tortoise lends a symbolic and narrative dimension to the whole.

Original mechanism, unaltered, with a thread suspension and striking the hours and half-hours on an antique bell.


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