Large Neoclassical style ormolu mounted malachite longcase clock

£150,000

This magnificent Louis XVI style clock, finished in a wonderful malachite veneer, is after one of the most famous clocks produced during the eighteenth century.

 

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Description

This magnificent longcase clock is after an original by Balthazar Lieutaud (an ébéniste who lived between 1720 and 1780) and Philippe Caffieri (a sculptor from Italy who lived from 1714 to 1774). The original longcase clock is known as the Régulateur au Char d’Apollon, or the Regulator of the Chariot of Apollo, the finest version of which is presently held within the Frick Collection in New York. The present clock was produced during the Belle Époque, though the malachite veneer is later.

The clock features a square profile malachite clock case banded in ormolu, which is centred with a circular white enamel dial encompassed within an ormolu bezel moulded with the signs of the zodiac. The top of the case is surmounted by an impressive sculpture in ormolu of Apollo in his horse-drawn chariot amidst swirling masses of clouds. Apollo, as the being who carries the sun in its course across the sky and thus regulates the hours of the day, is a fitting addition to the clock.

The central section of the case features a window revealing the pendulum, which is centred at the top with an ormolu laurel wreath. The bottom of the clock is inset with panels of differently coloured malachite encompassed in ormolu frames and is adorned with ormolu rosettes.

The dial is signed for the retailer Rosel of Bruxelles, while the movement is stamped for Etienne Maxant.

Details

Country of Origin
French
Date of Manufacture
Late 19th Century
Period
Late 19th Century
Style
Equestrian / Horses, Louis XVI, Neoclassical
Material
Malachite, Ormolu (Gilt Bronze)
Colour
Brown, Gold, Green, White

Dimensions

Height
250 cm / 98.4 inches
Width
54 cm / 21.3 inches
Depth
33 cm / 13 inches

Reference:
16776

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