Gilt and patinated bronze mounted marble mantel clock

This Louis XVI style mantel clock is formed from gilt and patinated bronze and grey-black speckled marble. The clock stands on an irregularly shaped rectangular base, which meets the ground on six tapered ormolu (gilt bronze) bun feet. The base, encompassed by a mounted ormolu beaded frieze, is surmounted by the clock body proper. The clock body is formed from an ormolu clock drum and a standing patinated bronze cherub.

The asymmetrically mounted ormolu clock drum, square in profile, meets the marble base with an ormolu foliate band above a rectangular frieze decorated with stylised wave-form motifs. The clock drum holds a white enamel dial, inscribed with Roman numeral hour marks and Arabic numeral five-minute marks, which is signed ‘Gille L’aine / A. Paris’. The drum, adorned with foliate ormolu mounts to each corner, is topped by a pedimental structure, cast with acanthus leaf forms. This pediment is surmounted by an ormolu cockerel, who crows as the cherub grabs at his breast. The patinated bronze cherub stands in contrapposto atop ormolu books, his hands around the cockerel finial.