19TH CENTURY, DIAL SIGNED BY BALTHAZARD

Details

A FRENCH ORMOLU MANTEL CLOCK
19th Century, dial signed by Balthazard
The white enamel dial with Roman and Arabic chapers signed 'BALTHAZARD A PARIS', within a drum-shaped case with swags of scrolling foliage and surmounted by the figures of Europa and Amor, mounted onto the back of a garland-hung bull flanked by two putti, on a scrolling rockwork base, the twin barrel movement stemped 'E. LEGRAND PARIS', '1634' and '9 2'
31¼in. (77 cm.) high; 22 in. (56 cm.) wide; 13 in. (33 cm.) deep

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The clock, celebrating The Continent of Europe and Love's Triumph, is inspired by the History of Jupiter and his abduction of Europa in the guise of a bull as recounted in Ovid's metamorphoses. Here Cupid attends flower-gathering Europa as his companions garland the bull, and the clock is wreathed by the poets' palms and laurels.
A clock of this l'Enlevement d'Europe model is illustrated in P. Kjellberg, Encyclopédie de La Pendule Française, Paris 1997, p.132, fig. A. It derives from a related Louis XV model of the mid-l8th Century, bearing the signature of the Parisian bronzier Robert Osmond (P. Kjellberg, ibid, fig. B).

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