Important Gilt Bronze Cartel Clock Signed "henry Dasson 1886" 19th Century

An important Louis XV style gilt bronze mantel clock, signed "Henry Dasson 1886," 19th century. The white enamel dial, signed Henry Dasson in Paris, indicates the hours in Roman numerals and the minutes in Arabic numerals. The bezel is adorned with a gilt bronze foliate shell. The dial is surmounted by a delicately chased putto holding a flaming torch. It rests on an openwork base with a cross-shaped tracery revealing a red silk lining. The sides are fitted with richly chased, flame-like glass, decorated with scrolling foliage and a shell at the bottom. The lower section is delicately chased with a female mask at the center. It rests on four cabriole feet with foliate decoration. The original movement strikes the hours and half-hours and is wound with its key. The original mercury gilding is of high quality and in very good condition, having been cleaned by our workshop. Sold with a wooden base covered in antique red velvet. DASSON HENRY 1825-1896. Cabinetmaker and bronze sculptor Henry Dasson, based at 106 Rue Vieille-du-Temple in Paris, produced sumptuous copies of 18th-century royal furniture and a few original creations of similar inspiration. His furniture and objets d'art were adorned with the finest mercury-gilded bronzes. In 1871, upon Winckelsen's death, Henry Dasson acquired the workshop stock of the renowned Parisian cabinetmaker Charles Winckelsen. He participated brilliantly in various Universal Expositions, such as the 1878 Exposition in Paris, where he was particularly noted by the jury for exhibiting a copy of Louis XV's grand bureau, admired for its exquisite craftsmanship. In 1889, at the Universal Exposition, he exhibited a Louis XVI-style table, crafted entirely in bronze and considered a masterpiece of chiseling. Dasson received a grand prize from the jury. His great renown was virtually unchallenged. He ceased practicing permanently in 1894.