Antique Floor Clock, Signed By Egisto Gajani, Florence, Dated 1873

An exceptional piece: a monumental walnut floor clock, entirely carved and signed “E. Gajani, Firenze” on the base, beneath the dial. Egisto Gajani (Florence, 1832–1890) was one of the most renowned Florentine woodcarvers of the late 19th century, trained at the Academy of Fine Arts and later in the workshops of Angiolo Barbetti and Francesco Morini. As early as the 1860s, he opened his own workshop, and in 1873—the year this clock was made—he received an honorable mention at the Vienna World’s Fair. His work is distinguished by virtuosic, almost monumental woodcarving in the Florentine Neo-Renaissance style.

The clock is a true tour de force of sculpture. The pediment is crowned by an impressive allegorical figure of Chronos, the Father of Time—a bearded, winged man wielding a scythe, seated on a shell motif, evoking the fleeting nature of time. Below rests a classical molded cornice, adorned with a pearl frieze and a band of shell motifs between flutes.

The dial is framed by four carved putti (cherubim) heads at the corners and features a gilded, engraved center with Roman numerals.

The shaft (central section) features a richly carved panel in high relief, depicting a flaming sacrificial cup, a ribbon adorned with a frieze of animals evoking a zodiacal procession of figures and animals, a radiant star, ears of wheat, and a medallion bearing a coat of arms—an allegorical composition of great richness. On either side of the shaft, two figures of ibex (wild goats), carved entirely in the round, frame the structure, with fleece and curved horns rendered with striking realism—a true technical feat.

The base echoes the same decorative style, featuring a carved panel with a heraldic motif, again bordered by beads and fluting.