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Lot Essay
Jean-Joseph de Saint Germain (1719-1791) was one of the most highly regarded fondeur-ciseleurs of his era. He was elected a maître fondeur en terre et en sable in 1748 and was particularly renowned for the extremely high level of chasing and modeling of his foliate decorated cases. From 1750-55, Jean-Joseph shared an atelier with his father, Joseph, an ébéniste who specialized in the elaborate bases for musical clocks and the cases for barometers.
An identical clock by St. Germain with works also signed Gosselin is illustrated in H.Ottomeyer and P. Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, p. 116, fig. 2.5.7. Another identical clock case with works by Pierre le Roy was sold in the Di Portanova Collection at Christie's, New York, 20 October 2000, lot 254 and a third example formerly in the Collection of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor was sold at Sotheby's, New York, 16 September 1998, lot 2079.
An identical clock by St. Germain with works also signed Gosselin is illustrated in H.Ottomeyer and P. Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, p. 116, fig. 2.5.7. Another identical clock case with works by Pierre le Roy was sold in the Di Portanova Collection at Christie's, New York, 20 October 2000, lot 254 and a third example formerly in the Collection of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor was sold at Sotheby's, New York, 16 September 1998, lot 2079.