A FRENCH BRONZE MARBLE AND RED-PAINTED CLOCK GARNITURE comprising a clock with glazed dial with Roman numerals, the movement engraved V D, the case decorated with hieroglyphs and headed by a detachable Assyrian winged bull on rectangular base flanked by two figures, one offering a cup, the other holding a sword, on breakfront rectangular base and block feet; and a pair of vases en suite with flaming nozzle and bulbous stem decorated with a silhouetted mask within an oval with sphinx handles, on turned socle, step squared base and block feet, last quarter 19th Century

Details

A FRENCH BRONZE MARBLE AND RED-PAINTED CLOCK GARNITURE comprising a clock with glazed dial with Roman numerals, the movement engraved V D, the case decorated with hieroglyphs and headed by a detachable Assyrian winged bull on rectangular base flanked by two figures, one offering a cup, the other holding a sword, on breakfront rectangular base and block feet; and a pair of vases en suite with flaming nozzle and bulbous stem decorated with a silhouetted mask within an oval with sphinx handles, on turned socle, step squared base and block feet, last quarter 19th Century
the clock 22in. (56cm.) wide; 24¾in. (63cm.) high
the vases 18in. (46cm.) high (3)

Lot Essay

The excavations of Monsieur Botta at the Palace of Khorsabad and Sir Henry Layard at Nimrud during the 1840's awakened the European mind to Assyrian ornament. Popularised by such pattern books as The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones of 1856, the majority of the sculptures from King Sargon of Assyria's (B.C. 722-705) palace at Khorsabad was sent to Paris. A related clockcase, in the Egyptian style, is illustrated in Nicolas M. Thorpe, 'The French Marble Clock', Colchester, 1990, p. 224, fig. 2

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