AN EMPIRE ORMOLU-MOUNTED AMBOYNA AND EBONY TABLE REGULATOR WITH YEAR CALENDAR AND EQUATION OF TIME

LORY À PARIS, 1819

Details

AN EMPIRE ORMOLU-MOUNTED AMBOYNA AND EBONY TABLE REGULATOR WITH YEAR CALENDAR AND EQUATION OF TIME
lory à paris, 1819
The dial with white enamel Roman annular chapter ring with blued steel arrow-head mean-time hour and minute hands, counterpoised blue steel hand with gilt sunburst indicating solar time, counterpoised blued steel sweep centre seconds hand, the gilt centre engraved Lory à Paris 1819, the winding squares with engraved arrow-head winding indication, the white enamel year calendar ring below with blued steel arrow-head pointer indicating to the months with the relevant sign and to the correct dates, the large equation kidney wheel mounted directly behind and operated on a typical cantilever system, the movement with substantial rectangular plates secured with four brass pillars with blued steel screws to the front plate and pinned to the backplate, twin going barrels, the deadbeat anchor escapement mounted on the backplate with jewelled pallets, fine adjustment to the crutch piece, spring-suspended gridiron pendulum with brass and steel rods, large countwheel strike on the bell on the backplate, the movement resting on a massive brass bracket secured at the top and sides, the movement itself secured with two milled ormolu and steel bolts into the base pillars, the case with ebonized moulding to the top and bottom, glazed sides, the rear door with spring-loaded pin-hole catch to the side, the front glass lifting upwards beneath the detachable flat top, the front with finely cast ormolu Egyptian caryatids, the ebony-lined base on ormolu block feet
19¾in. (50cm.) high

Lot Essay

Germain Claude Lory le Jeune is recorded as Master in 1778 and working from Rue de Grenelle in 1781 and then Rue de Phelippeau from 1789-1815. He was apparently renowned for his fine astronomical clocks and the present example certainly confirms that. The most unusual feature is the use of enamel chapter rings for the mean and solar ring and year calendar ring below. This combination against the dominance of the ormolu and amboyna gives the clock a much warmer and more handsome appearance than if the rings were of silvered brass or pure enamel.
The presence of the date on the dial gives a useful and accurate pointer to dating similar clocks by other makers

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