Sèvres style jewelled porcelain and ormolu three-piece clock set

Style of Sèvres (French, founded 1738)

£45,000

This magnificent three-piece clock set, wrought from Sèvres style jewelled porcelain and mounted with ormolu, epitomises the very best of 19th Century Neoclassical design.

 

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Description

This three-piece clock set is comprised of a central mantel clock and a pair of flanking candelabra. The set is wrought from Sèvres style porcelain and ormolu (gilt bronze). Moreover, the porcelain is ‘jewelled’ on occasion, whereby small polychrome enamel beads have been applied to the porcelain, the effect of which is imitative of encrusted jewels.

The central mantel clock stands on four bleu celeste gilt-fluted porcelain columnar legs. The columns support a rectangular ormolu top with a fluted frieze, from which ormolu draperies hang on all four sides. On each of the two short sides, these draperies frame oval porcelain plaques painted with birds, musical instruments, and various other items, all composed into a satisfying assemblage. At the front, ormolu tasselled drapes surround a circular parcel gilt enamel clock dial, the dial painted with Roman numerals and adorned at its centre with a pair of cherubim. The clock case is surmounted by a large and impressive porcelain urn-form finial, which is painted with bleu celeste ground, parcel gilt, jewelled, and mounted with twin ormolu classical head-form handles.

The twin candelabra are similarly decorated, each raised on a conforming ormolu and porcelain base. The candelabra stems are decorated with porcelain panels painted with depictions of beautiful young women, and are mounted with ormolu rams’ heads onto their sides, with draperies suspended between them. These stems are topped by bulbous, porcelain vase-like features, from which the ormolu arms of the candelabra spring. On each, four arms rise upwards, then drop down, before curving back up to terminate in foliate drip-pans. A sixth arm, on each piece, extends upwards from the porcelain feature in a straight line, its front mounted with an ormolu, classical female mask.

Clock: Height 46cm, width 29cm, depth 24cm
Candelabra: Height 59cm, width 22cm, depth 16cm

Details

Artist / Maker
Style of Sèvres (French, founded 1738)
Country of Origin
French
Date of Manufacture
19th Century
Period
19th Century
Style
Louis XVI, Neoclassical, Sèvres
Material
Ormolu (Gilt Bronze), Porcelain
Colour
Blue, Gold, Multi-coloured

Dimensions

Height
46 cm / 18.1 inches
Width
29 cm / 11.4 inches
Depth
24 cm / 9.4 inches

Reference:
16328

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