Neo-louis XVI Clock In White Marble And Gilded Bronze, Known As The "fiançailles."

CharmingNeo-Louis XVI desk or boudoir clock, known as the “Engagement”model, in white marble and gilded bronze with beautifully chiseledhigh-relief motifs of trophies featuring war, musical, andromantic attributes. White enameled dial with Arabic numerals for the hours andminutes. Rectangular base with stepped sections, embellished within panels of interlacingblooming myrtle, resting on spinning-top feet encircled by corollasof petals.
High-quality Parisian craftsmanship from the late 19th century.
An alluring model ofdelicate proportions, this ravishing desk or boudoir clock withsubtle Louis XVI styling is adorned on its architecturally designed case, crafted entirelyin gilded bronze with beautifully chiseled ornamental motifs. A half-torusof ribboned oak leaves, acanthus fleurons, and flutingpunctuate and give rhythm to its case, whose sides are encircled by a delicate openworkopenwork pattern featuring stylized florets. Alternating with slender slats,beaded borders frame its white enameled dial, which displays the hours andminutes in Arabic numerals via two pierced hands. Set as appliqués,interlaced motifs of flowering myrtle and acanthus rosettes embellish thecurvilinear projection, the white marble base of this timepieceresting on spinning-top legs with rings adorned with corolla-shaped petals.Crafted inthe round, paired trophies adorn this clock withsymbolic significance.Adorned respectively with leafy branches of laurel and myrtle,one takes on a martial character (a braided flag on a pole, alaurel-wreathed and plumed scimitar, a shield, and a serpent associatedwith the warrior figure of Minerva); the other, with musical attributes(lute, pan flute, basque drum, sheet music), evokes thefeminine charms of 18th-century pastorals. Perched withhalf-open wings atop clouds dotted with a torch bearing a flaming log—an allusionto the flame of love stoked by the god Eros—a pairof frolicking turtledoves crowns its crown. Symbolizing Hymen,this pair of Venusian birds reinforces the sentimental character—eventhe “intimate” nature—of this alluring timepiece.Designed with its array of trophies (warrior,pastoral, conjugal) as a small love ode, this lovely model known as “TheEngagement” was, throughout the second half of the 19th century,offered in particular as a thoughtful gift by the watchmakers and jewelers ofthe era.
Fine-quality Parisian work in the Neo-LouisXVI style from the second half of the 19th century
Very good overall condition. Working movement, no warranty.