Empire Period Gilt Bronze Clock

A gilt bronze clock. The columned model, known as a "portico," simulates an ancient temple and is adorned with numerous decorative elements blending Greek and Egyptian influences. The original mercury gilding is in excellent condition. The clock movement is housed within an arcade decorated with figures of Fame. Laterally, this form flattens into an ogive. The original movement was suspended by silk thread. It retains its intact enamel dial, signed Dubuc Le Jeune, who was active in Paris between 1800 and 1817. He worked on Rue des Gravilliers in what is now the Marais district, not far from the École des Arts et Métiers, which had been established some twenty years earlier. The sunburst pendulum swings above a recessed area simulating a basin with radiating decoration, mirroring the pendulum's movement. First Empire period.