A French ormolu "Harlequin" mantel clock

19TH CENTURY

Details
A French ormolu "Harlequin" mantel clock
19th Century
The harlequin holding in his left hand the square clock-case with a dove in the arch, containing the circular engine-turned Roman dial, with steel moon hands, surrounded by foliate spandrels, the twin-going barrel movement with the backplate engraved M. DRIELSMA/LIVERPOOL and numbered 31579/14, on a rectangular stepped plinth cast with ribbon-tied foliage, on claw feet
37cm. high x 23.5cm. wide x 14cm. deep

Lot Essay

The Harlequin figure was one of the most important characters of the Commedia dell'arte, the improvised popular comedy in Italian theatres between the 16th and 18th Century. Harlequin, or Arlecchino in Italian, was always the rather naive and acrobatic servant from Bergamo.
A clock of similar design is illustrated on the back cover of Tardy, French clocks the world over, Part two, Paris, 1981.
Another clock of similar design was sold anonymously at Christie's Amsterdam, 20 December 1994, lot 521.

See illustration

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