Lot Essay
This clock celebrates the Continent of America, with an Indian huntress seated beneath a palm tree with an aligator; while its hollowed and pearl-wreathed 'altar' pedestal is embellished with Arcadian satyr-masks and bas reliefs of sporting youths.
A clock of this pattern, inscribed with the name of the Parisian clock-maker De Verberie, recorded in Tardy as active from 1800 to 1820, was exhibited in 1799 and titled A l'Américaine. His design for this clock, on a plinth displaying garlanded satyr-masks is preserved in the Cabinet des Estampes, at the Bibliotheque Nationale; and is inscribed No. 12 Deverberie due trois Pluvoise An Sept. A clock with the latter pattern of plinth, is exhibited at the Musee Paul Dupuy, Toulouse (Tardy, La Pendule Française dans le Monde, vol. 22, Paris, 1987, p. 212, pl. 52; and E. Niehuser, French Bronze Clocks, 1700-1830, Atglen, 1999, no. 808). This plinth, with sporting youths, also featured on the companion Continent of Africa clock with a bow-bearing huntress accompanied by a lion (Niehuser, ibid, no. 810).
A clock of this pattern was sold Christie's, Monaco, 2 December 1994, lot 63 (FF 122,100).
A clock of this pattern, inscribed with the name of the Parisian clock-maker De Verberie, recorded in Tardy as active from 1800 to 1820, was exhibited in 1799 and titled A l'Américaine. His design for this clock, on a plinth displaying garlanded satyr-masks is preserved in the Cabinet des Estampes, at the Bibliotheque Nationale; and is inscribed No. 12 Deverberie due trois Pluvoise An Sept. A clock with the latter pattern of plinth, is exhibited at the Musee Paul Dupuy, Toulouse (Tardy, La Pendule Française dans le Monde, vol. 22, Paris, 1987, p. 212, pl. 52; and E. Niehuser, French Bronze Clocks, 1700-1830, Atglen, 1999, no. 808). This plinth, with sporting youths, also featured on the companion Continent of Africa clock with a bow-bearing huntress accompanied by a lion (Niehuser, ibid, no. 810).
A clock of this pattern was sold Christie's, Monaco, 2 December 1994, lot 63 (FF 122,100).