A LOUIS XV ORMOLU, LACQUERED BRONZE AND FRENCH PORCELAIN-MOUNTED MANTEL CLOCK
A LOUIS XV ORMOLU, LACQUERED BRONZE AND FRENCH PORCELAIN-MOUNTED MANTEL CLOCK

THE FIGURES ATTRIBUTED TO THE MARTIN BROTHERS, CIRCA 1740

Details
A LOUIS XV ORMOLU, LACQUERED BRONZE AND FRENCH PORCELAIN-MOUNTED MANTEL CLOCK
THE FIGURES ATTRIBUTED TO THE MARTIN BROTHERS, CIRCA 1740
With cylindrical drum to the movement, the enameled dial with Roman and Arabic chapters, the dial signed 'Balthazard à Paris', supported by a reclining 'Chinoiserie' man flanked by a 'Chinoiserie' boy on rockwork base, cast with foliage, the drum supported to the reverse by a naturalistic tree, one porcelain flower detached, one ormolu branch with small loss, the movement later
8¾ in. (22 cm.) high, 9 in. (23 cm.) wide
Provenance
The Collection of Martin Alexander, sold Christie's, New York, 30 April 1999, lot 35.

Lot Essay

Related examples of clocks incorporating lacquered bronze figures attributed to the Martin frères include the following:

-One in the Louvre Museum, Paris from the Grog-Carven Collection, with movement by Pierre Le Roy

-One, almost certainly supplied to Prince Charles de Lorraine, with movement by Etienne Lenoir, formerly in the collection of Djahanguir Riahi, sold Christie's, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 8 ($270,000 exc. premium)

-One, part of a garniture including a pair of candelabra, with movement by Antoine Thiout, sold from the collection of Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, Sotheby's, New York, 20 May 1992, lot 7 ($319,000 inc. premium)

-One formerly in the collection of the Duchesse de Richelieu, now in a private collection, with movement by Benoist Gerard

-One discussed in Partridge Fine Arts: Recent Acquisitions, London, 1998, cat. 45, p. 113, with movement by Gudin le Jeune

For a further discussion of lacquered bronze figures attributed to Martin frères, see note preceding lot 153.

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