"cupid And Psyche" Empire Clock In Bronze And Red Marble, 19th Century

Architectural base in Rouge Griotte marble (also called Rouge du Roi, a prized Belgian red marble with whitish fossil nodules), a luxury stone widely chosen for high-end Empire clocks and official decorative programs at the turn of the 19th century.

The sculptural group depicts Cupid and Psyche: Eros, winged, gently touches Psyche’s chin as she leans toward him; together they hold a wreath of roses in gilt bronze above the dial. The subject, from Apuleius’s tale, celebrates the union of Love and the Soul after trials and enjoyed great popularity in Neoclassical fine and decorative arts.

The patinated bronze figures are sand-cast with finely chased details (hair, wings, drapery); the nuanced brown patina enhances the modelling. The gilt-bronze mounts—floral wreath, anthemion frieze, archaeological applique, and winged paw feet—are crisply chased with matte and burnished surfaces, a vocabulary characteristic of the Empire style. The pairing of patinated and gilt bronze on Rouge Griotte bases is well documented on quality Parisian clocks of the period.

Dial — Gilded engine-turned dial with Roman numerals and railway minute track; Breguet-type hands. Paris movement striking on a bell (seen at the back) within a cylindrical drum. The front block carries a Classical lamp motif in gilt bronze; the marble shows the desirable white vein and fossil speckling typical of Rouge Griotte, underscoring the luxury grade of the piece.

Iconography — Cupid and Psyche, an allegory of love’s triumph and the soul’s immortality, became a favored Neoclassical theme in Parisian decorative arts.

Condition — Very good patina to the bronzes; original gilding with age-consistent wear; Rouge Griotte marble with natural veining; working condition not tested.

Dimensions
Height - 63 cm
Width - 45 cm
Depth - 23 cm