LATE 18TH CENTURY

Details

A LOUIS XVI ORMOLU MANTEL CLOCK
LATE 18TH CENTURY
With balustraded cornice above a scrolling floral and acanthus-cast frieze and a glazed case with a central circular dial the white enamel Roman and Arabic dial with dot minute track and inner concentric calendar ring, signed 'Ch. Cesar. M. A PARIS,' pierced and chased ormolu hands (tip of hour lacking, minute lacking), blued steel date hand, the movement with circular plates joined by four back-pinned pillars, twin barrels with anchor escapement (lacking escape wheel), countwheel strike on bell, later pendulum, supported by acanthus leaf-cast scrolls on a further interlaced laurel leaf-cast scrolling frieze and circular feet
16¾ in. (42.5 cm.) high, 12½ in. (32 cm.) wide, 9¼ in. (23.5 cm.) deep

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

Lot Essay

The present clock relates closely to a similar example, previously in the celebrated Demidoff collection in the Villa San Donato and sold subsequently Sotheby's New York, 31 October 1987, lot 52 ($38,000), although with the movement by Lépine and the dial signed Coteau. Both share the same extreme rectangular simplicity of the glazed case and with the circular dial supported by scrolling rinceaux with the same balustrade cornice and the restrained and extremely refined floral friezes.

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