Louis XVI Skeleton Lyre Clock Late 18th Century

Louis XVI Skeleton Lyre Clock
Late 18th Century

Dimensions:

• Height: 37 cm

• Base: 19 x 8.5 cm

Elegant Louis XVI period skeleton lyre clock resting on a rectangular white marble base flanked by two black marble uprights adorned with gilt-bronze mounts. The openwork lyre-shaped structure supports an exposed movement, allowing the mechanism itself to become an integral part of the clock's visual appeal.

The white enamel chapter ring is graduated with black Breguet numerals and opens generously onto the movement. It is fitted with a remarkable pair of finely pierced gilt-bronze hands featuring a star motif of exceptional quality. This particularly refined design is found on some of the finest French clocks of the late eighteenth century and is perfectly consistent with the solar iconography of the present piece. Comparable hands appear on several clocks illustrated in the reference works of Pierre Kjellberg as well as in Tardy's La Pendule Française.

The composition is crowned by an impressive radiating mask representing Apollo or the Sun, while a second sun mask decorates the pendulum. This recurring solar motif creates a particularly harmonious decorative programme and reflects the care devoted to the design of the clock.

The arched uprights, enhanced with beaded borders, together with the gilt-bronze laurel branches, elegantly frame the suspended movement. The combination of white marble, black marble and gilt bronze creates a refined contrast characteristic of late Louis XVI neoclassical taste.

This clock stands out for its remarkably well-preserved overall condition. The gilt bronzes display an attractive old patina, the marbles remain in very good order, and the piece possesses that special quality often found in objects that have spent centuries in a carefully maintained interior.

The movement is currently in working order, with an observed power reserve of approximately 10 to 15 days.

The movement is sold without guarantee.

A charming collector's clock combining the elegance of Louis XVI design, the refinement of skeleton clockmaking and outstanding decorative appeal.

Skeleton clocks rank among the most refined achievements of late eighteenth-century French clockmaking. While most clocks conceal their mechanics, these remarkable creations transform the movement itself into a central decorative feature.

This example is distinguished by the harmony of its proportions and the coherence of its decorative programme. The solar theme appears throughout the design, from the radiating masks to the remarkable star-motif hands, creating a subtle dialogue between ornament and mechanism. With its modest dimensions, the clock possesses a striking presence and immediately draws the eye.

More than two centuries after its creation, it still retains that rare combination of lightness, elegance and sophistication that defines the finest Louis XVI lyre clocks.