Lot n° 213
Estimation :
40000 - 60000
EUR
Lyre clock "Louis XVI" of Consulate period, in green Sèvres - Lot 213
Lyre clock "Louis XVI" of Consulate period, in green Sèvres porcelain and gilded bronzes, with oscillating movement.
If one judges by the 30 days calendar, this clock is between 1794 and January 1st 1806 (application of the decree of abrogation of the revolutionary calendar); very probably it is of Consulate period.
This is a particularly rare meeting thus defining the quality of the holders of this clock and its certain authenticity.
Restored by Mr. Jean Thievenaz, the transformation at the end of the 19th century in order to hear this clock ringing was, by him, removed in order to put it back in its original aspect and function.
The weight of the additional wheels disturbing its center of gravity, thus its good working and the aesthetics of its position, it was useful to remedy it.
The holes corresponding to the transformation have been very neatly filled in, the oscillating clock has found its function, its position and its primitive aspect.
The comparison of the size of the gears leaves no doubt as to the two different periods of these two distinct functions, movement and striking.
This comparison confirms the older workmanship of the movement where any clockmaker, having had access to clocks of this period, can distinguish this pivotal period of about 1800, for the movement, 1880 (approx.) for the striking attachments
The bronzes are all inscribed with the letter Q: the chisellers marked each piece of their work in order to recognize them and to find them after gilding.
Pierre Gouthière (1740-1806), a famous bronzemaker at the end of the 18th century, had as a trainee Pierre-Philippe Thomire (another famous bronzemaker and chiseller, 1751 - 1843); during his traineeship in 1773, he signed his work with a "T" (in three strokes of a single tool) on each piece that he chiselled In a private collection (D.F.) a very beautiful Empire clock by Thomire has all its bronzes signed with this same letter Q. One could therefore rightly suspect the very fine quality bronzes of this lyre clock as coming from Thomire's workshop!
Our oscillating lyre clock is in perfect correlation with the superb oscillating lyre clock (identical model) in red Sèvres which is in the Ephrussi de Rotschild Foundation in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, except for the gorgon and sun decoration on the central top (much more discreet and elegant on ours) and having a movement and striking mechanism which requires the movement to be wound up, which seems to us to be unattractive
The elegance of our clock, its rarity and its condition, makes this rare object, an exceptional one.
Even if this lyre clock underwent transformation and restoration, not of origin but, as in the origin, it does not deserve less by its superb aspect found.
With a case of transport of the XIXth century.
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