Estimated Price:

   £   

Realised Price:

   £   

What is this symbol? This symbol indicates that this auction hose has verified this price result.

Login or subscribe to view price data

The circular enamelled dial with both Arabic and Roman numerals, within a pearled and guilloche bezel surmounted by a splayed eagle with ribbon-tied oak garlands, the whole supported on an Ionic scrolled capital with foliate panel flanked by seated maidens emblematic of Learning, the panelled plinth with trailing foliage centred by a bearded mask of Pan, on paw feet, the single chain fusee movement with anchor escapement, the movement signed 'French Royal /Exchange, London', lacking glazing to back, on a Regency ebonised and red leather-lined base with reeded edge, lacking glass dome, with pendulum 12in. (30.5cm.) high; 141/2in. (37cm.) wide PROVENANCE Almost certainly bought by Thomas, 2nd Marquess of Bath (1765-1837), Longleat, Wiltshire and by descent at Longleat. LITERATURE 1852 Inventory, No. 65 Ante Library or Breakfast Room, 'French Clock on Gilt stand on marble Plinth and Glass Shade'. 1869 Inventory, Saloon, 'A small clock in case of ormolu surmounted by an eagle and seated figures reading'. 1896 Inventory (2nd Marquess' Heirlooms), f 103 r The late Marquess of Bath's Sitting Room, 'An Empire clock in gilt ormolu with two seated female figures at sides surmounted eagle on black base under glass shade on stand height 12 inches'. NOTES The mantel clock evokes the concept of time well spent. It is crowned by Jupiter's eagle who bears sacred oak garlands above the clock face, whose Ionic capital cradle is framed by addorsed grammar-studying nymphs. They are seated on a Grecian marble plinth which is centred by an Arcadian bacchic Pan-mask amongst golden flowered bas reliefs, the whole resting on bacchic lion paws. The two seated figures derive from the model of L'Etude, which together with La Philosophie, was created for the SŠvres factory by Louis-Simon Boizot in 1780. Under the instructions of the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre, these figures were incorporated into a clock design, from which the present clock derives, by the cisleur-doreur Fran‡ois R‚mond (H. Ottomeyer, P. Proschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, p. 295, fig. 4.17.5). In 1788 Daguerre delivered two clocks after his new design to Louis XVI for the Chƒteau de St. Cloud (P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dor‚s Fran‡ais du XVIIIe SiŠcle, Paris, 1987, p. 322). The model obviously appealed to the Prince of Wales, later George IV, as he purchased two clocks of this model from Daguerre, one of which was in his bedroom, the other in his dressing-room (C. Jagger, Royal Clocks, London, 1983, p. 155, figs. 211-212). This clock may have been bought from the clockmaker jeweller, Thomas Weeks (d. 1834), who established his museum of mechanical curiosities in Tichborne Street in about 1797. A clock of closely related form and signed 'WEEKS'S MUSEUM', was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 8 July 1993, lot 5. That clock also had the same ebonised plinth that the present clock has. The movement of the present clock bears the name of Santiago James Moore French of the Royal Exchange, London, who was a freeman of the Clockmaker's Company from 1810-1840.